Sandals Yo u r G u i d e to t h e Lu x u r y I n c lu d e d ™ Va c at i o n
Life ROOM COPY—PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE
LO V E I S A L L YOU NEED
V o lu m e IX JAMAICA EDITION
Moore Romance Mandy Moore, Robin Williams get a License to Wed at Sandals Resorts
Weddings in paradise
Sheer bliss at the world’s most luxurious retreats
jamaica LOCAL PATHFINDER
Discover culture, shopping, island attractions
contents 18
D epartments
4 All That’s Good
by Gordon “Butch” Stewart
A message from the Chairman
1 2 Kaleidoscope
A sampler of the incomparable Sandals Resorts experience
1 8 Resort Report
Future enhancements will surpass all expectations
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3 6 Weddings in paradise
Sheer bliss on that unforgettable day
Features 8 luxury included
Unparalleled indulgence is still the least you can expect
10 The sandals family
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A chat with Adam Stewart, CEO of Sandals Resorts International
28 designs on luxury
Creative teams have one goal: to sweep guests off their feet
48 sandals celebrity
She’s grown into a formidable talent, but Mandy Moore is just getting started
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50 Silver screen
Mandy Moore and company get a License to Wed on Jamaica’s gorgeous beach
52 sesame street
All the news from your favorite neighborhood
54 dining delights
Good friends, great food, superlative wines: a taste of the good life
60 earth matters
A constant commitment to protecting the natural beauty of the Caribbean
64 Worlds of wonder
Adventure on and in the carefree Caribbean
69 LOCAL PATHFINDER 60
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Discover where to go to enjoy local shopping, sights and activities
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ALL THAT’S GOOD
Welcome to Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts Our Luxury Included™ Paradise in Paradise
Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts For more information, call your professional travel agent or Sandals: 1-800-SANDALS, or Beaches: 1-800-BEACHES. Visit our Web sites at www.sandals.com or www.beaches.com.
ANTIGUA Sandals Grande Antigua Resort & Spa St. John’s (268) 462-0267
JAMAICA Sandals Dunn’s River Villaggio Golf Resort & Spa Ocho Rios (876) 972-1610 Sandals Grande Ocho Rios Beach & Villa Resort Ocho Rios (876) 974-5691 Sandals Inn Montego Bay (876) 952-4140 Sandals Montego Bay Montego Bay (876) 952-5510 Sandals Negril Beach Resort & Spa Negril (876) 957-5216 Sandals Royal Caribbean Resort & Private Island Montego Bay (876) 953-2231 Sandals Whitehouse European Village & Spa Westmoreland (876) 640-3000 Beaches Boscobel Resort & Golf Club Ocho Rios (876) 975-7777 Beaches Negril Resort & Spa Negril (876) 957-9270 Beaches Sandy Bay Negril (876) 957-5100
ST. LUCIA Sandals Grande St. Lucian Spa & Beach Resort Gros Islet (758) 455-2000 Sandals Halcyon Beach St. Lucia Castries (758) 453-0222 Sandals Regency La Toc Golf Resort & Spa in St. Lucia Castries (758) 452-3081
To Our Cherished Guests: Welcome to my island home: the magnificent Caribbean, where the sun sets in a burnished glow on pure white sand and crystal-clear turquoise water, where soft breezes kiss away cares. These are the exquisite features of the place where I was born, the place I dreamed of celebrating when I created Sandals Resorts more than a quarter-century ago. Since opening that first resort on the pristine shores of Jamaica, my Sandals family and I have created ever-more-stunning ways to provide a Luxury Included™ getaway for our guests. We’ve perfected the art of pampering with our signature swim-up pool bars, luxurious Red Lane® Spa treatments, gourmet restaurants featuring acclaimed wines bottled just for us by Beringer Vineyards, and flawless service from butlers impeccably trained by the Guild of Professional English Butlers. As renowned as Sandals Resorts are for romance, we’ve also created the ultimate Luxury Included family vacation at Beaches Resorts, from Kids’ Camps and Ultra Nannies to our unique partnerships with Crayola® and Sesame Street—not to mention the awesome adventure of the Pirate’s Island waterparks, the newest of which is providing thrills galore at Beaches Boscobel in Jamaica. Stupendous Style The latest fruits of our efforts can be seen in several new suite projects that take our Luxury Included philosophy to more-sumptuous heights than ever before. In the palatial suites at Sandals Grande Antigua’s new Mediterranean Village, the bathrooms alone will take your breath away. These enormous spaces are fitted with marble and mosaic tiling and offer Jacuzzi ® tubs built for two with separate shower areas that feature overhead rain showerheads. You’ll find the same “Wow!” factor at Beaches Turks & Caicos in December 2008, when the new Italian Seaside Village debuts with 180 suites that spoil parents and kids alike: Xbox 360™ game systems and specially designed bunk beds for the young ones; private Jacuzzis and mahogany four-poster beds for adults, plus a Pirate’s Island waterpark that will be ten times its current size. For our first love, Jamaica, we created enchanting new Swim-Up River Suites at Sandals Negril and Sandals Royal Caribbean: relaxing retreats where secluded patios, surrounded by lush vegetation, open directly onto a lazy river. In St. Lucia, we deepened our commitment to luxury. At Sandals Grande St. Lucian, the newest Rondoval Suites—those intimate circular cottages that so many of our guests have fallen in love with—offer 1,400 square feet of luxury. Guests are treated to a 50-inch plasma television, and on the private pool deck, two people in love can sink into their own outdoor Jacuzzi or sparkling plunge pool. Sandals Grande St. Lucian also will re-create the romantic waterways of Venice, Italy, with 410 new rooms and suites perched on the water in the Venetian Village. And our six new Million-Dollar Suites at Sandals Regency La Toc will literally cost us $1 million each to build—yet offer a Caribbean setting that’s priceless.
Sandals Royal Bahamian Spa Resort & Offshore Island Nassau (242) 327-6400
Welcome Home We created these fantasy havens specifically to showcase the natural allure of the Caribbean and to share with you this place we know so well, to deepen your pleasure in visiting its shores by adding unforgettable luxury and true hospitality. We are not just a Caribbean resort; we are the Caribbean. It has been our pleasure to open our home to you—and always will be.
TURKS & CAICOS ISLANDS
Wishing You All That’s Good,
THE BAHAMAS
Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort & Spa Providenciales (649) 946-8000 The Hon. Gordon “Butch” Stewart, OJ, CD, Hon. LLD Founder and Chairman Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts 4
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publisher’s page
Sandals YOUR
GUIDE
TO
THE
LU X URY
Life
INCLUDED ™
VACATION
onboard media Robert eichner president
sarah beth reno VICE PRESIDENT, operations
robin rosenbaum-andras Vice president and publisher
matthew j. siesel vice president, finance
laurie platkin Associate Publisher
editorial and design
Kate mcclare executive Editor
stephanie chatanay cox associate editor
sirena andras project art director
markham mcgill art director
julio ortega Advertising Design art Director
agustina prigoshin editorial intern beth wood project art director juan iturriza senior graphic designer
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Laurie Baratti, Jeryl Brunner, Ciara LaVelle, Skip Sheffield
production and advertising services
virginia valls production manager
marcus alonso production coordinator
james perdomo production coordinator
gail abrams Ad Services Manager
alexandra deetjen ad services coordinator
violeta manco-rojas ad services coordinator
alice gabrieloff wieder ad services coordinator
Chad esper production assistant
mario alfonso shipping and logistics coordinator
advertising sales franklin gutierrez Account manager, regional sales Sandals Promotional Program Manager
catherine glover director of International Sales
david mardini director of regional sales
tyler condon Account Manager, Regional Sales
sandals life is published by onboard media and is available on a complimentary basis to the hotel guests of sandals resorts and beaches resorts.
1691 michigan avenue, suite 600 Miami Beach, Fl 33139 TEL: 305.673.0400, fax: 305.674.9396 www.onboard.com © 2007 onboard media. no claim to original works of unique vacations, inc., sandals resorts international or advertisers. All rights reserved. The entire contents of this publication are protected by copyright. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. All articles, descriptions and suggestions concerning activities, tourist attractions and other vacation opportunities described in this publication are merely expressions of opinions by contributing writers, do not constitute the opinions of OnBoard Media, Inc., unique vacations, inc., or sandals resorts international, and under no circumstances constitute assurances or guarantees concerning the quality or safety of any such attraction or activity. OnBoard Media, Inc., unique vacations, inc., and sandals resorts international specifically disclaim any liability for damages incurred due to the attendance or participation by readers of this publication in any such activity or attraction, and the attendance or participation in any such activity or attraction shall be made solely at the reader’s own risk. PRINTED in the united states of america.
We appreciate hearing from you. Let us know what you think of Sandals Life and what you would like to see in future issues. Send letters to: Executive Editor, Sandals Life, 1691 Michigan Avenue, Suite 600, Miami Beach, FL 33139; or e-mail comments to katem@onboard.com.
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Sandals Life | Luxury Included™
Art and Fashion
Poetry and beauty have intertwined in Venice since 1270 thanks to the Sicilian poet Cielo d’Alcamo, of whom the Cielo family, holders of our brand names, are descendants. He got hold of some precious stones originating from the Far East from Marco Polo, and transformed these gems into amazing jewels for the ladies of the Court of Catania.
GEMS & KARATS DUTY FREE JEWELERS
Negril: Bayside Village Shopping Centre, Norman Manley Blvd. Tel: 876.316.8329 Fax: 876.953.6439
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Luxury Included™ resorts
Seaside Fantasy
At sandals resorts, unparalleled indulgence is still the least you can expect
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Sumptuous accommodations, gourmet cuisine, peerless service. On most vacations, these are the luxuries you must request and pay extra to obtain. But at Sandals Resorts, they’re as basic as the palms swaying in a balmy tropical breeze or the burnt-orange sunset over the blue Caribbean Sea. Luxury is included in the Sandals experience, and has been from the beginning. It starts as soon as you enter the sumptuous resort and are greeted with a warm smile, a cool towel and a chilled glass of sparkling wine or fruit punch to refresh you after your journey. Limitless luxuries of service and atmosphere fill your days and nights. The bartender who mixes your favorite beverage from the bar built right into the swimming pool. Gourmet fare served on the most elegant china, created especially for Sandals; fine wines, bottled exclusively for Sandals, poured into the most delicate crystal. Spacious suites nestled amid palm trees or carved into the hills overlooking the calm sea—fantasy havens filled with the most magnificent furnishings and fabrics and the latest televisions and technology. At Beaches Resorts, kids are treated like royalty, in generously styled family suites and in an array of programs catering especially to toddlers, tweens and teens. Expertly trained caregivers provide enriching, entertaining experiences for the littlest guests, and older children get their own spaces in game rooms and other hangouts where they can make new friends—while parents relish private time with each other. Beaches also brings families together, enabling moms, dads and kids to reconnect with each other, far removed from the stress of everyday life. And that is the true luxury: time. Time to appreciate each other, to refresh relationships and to rediscover all the things you love about each other. Luxury has been standard at Sandals since the resorts opened more than 25 years ago. As long as there are people in love seeking the ultimate in romance and families seeking the finest in fun and adventure, it will simply be the very least guests can expect here.
Luxury is included in the Sandals experience, and has been from the beginning.
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the sandals family
‘We do not settle for anything less than the best for our guests.’ —Adam Stewart Q: What is the Sandals Resorts experience? ADAM STEWART: It is the epitome of a luxurious romantic getaway—it offers simply the very best of every aspect that anyone would want on a vacation. We deliver the ultimate vacation experience and are committed to providing the highest level of quality, service and choices, bar none.
a chat with ADAM STEWART Adam Stewart, CEO of Sandals Resorts International, literally grew up in the business founded by his father, Sandals and Beaches Resorts Chairman Gordon “Butch” Stewart: He was born in 1981, the year the first luxurious property opened in Montego Bay. He has led the company in various key positions, including director of resort product just prior to his appointment as CEO. Sandals Life chatted with Stewart about the paradise created for guests of the Luxury Included™ Resorts.
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Q: Sandals Resorts was the first to bring all-encompassing luxury to the Caribbean on such a large scale, but you’ve had a lot of copycats. How do you stay ahead of the pack? ADAM STEWART: Many companies have tried to duplicate what we do at Sandals, but without success. We ensure that consistent reinvestment is made in our resorts and that significant care and expense are given to be certain that the products Sandals offers are simply the very best there is. It is imperative to continually make improvements and reinvest in the product, not only to exceed the expectations of loyal guests but also to attract today’s luxury traveler—a customer who grows more and more savvy each passing day. We’ve created the Luxury Included™ vacation to encompass all that we’re doing to give our guests just that. From the imported marble and tile that adorns the bathrooms to the best service with butlers trained by the Professional Guild of English Butlers, wines from renowned Beringer Vineyards, wedding collections designed by Preston Bailey, and Mastercraft ski boats— we do not settle for anything less than the best for our guests. Our new suites include every imaginable luxury and encompass all that we have learned over the last 25 years to offer a spectacular product to our guests. We know they recognize that, and that it is what keeps them returning, year after year. Q: Each year the resorts seem bigger and more extravagant while remaining elegant and intimate. How do you manage that balance? ADAM STEWART: Sandals is known for its service and for the warmth and passion of our staff. Our staff is constantly going through training, management courses and guestservice seminars, to guarantee that the service we offer is comparable to any top hotel around the world. We keep the experience intimate through our employees, who are passionate about what they do—and committed to making every second of a guest’s vacation memorable. And our new suites are making it even easier for guests to have a private romantic getaway, while still enjoying the amenities of a five-star resort. With the Rondoval Suites and the Swim-Up River Suites, couples can enjoy their own private paradise while still having six or seven restaurants to choose from, a wonderful stretch of beach and endless amenities. And we didn’t forget about families. We know it’s important for parents and children to reconnect as well, so we designed our new family-style suites at Beaches Turks & Caicos to offer something for everyone: bunk beds and Xbox® Consoles for the kids, while Mom and Dad can enjoy the luxury of a Jacuzzi® tub and rich furnishings. Q: How do you determine what your guests want and need? ADAM STEWART: Most importantly, we value and listen to the comments and feedback from our guests. We have even taken the guest survey a step further, and implemented an online survey program that goes in-depth about their experience, to give us a true picture of their vacation. Of course, we also make sure to constantly visit trade shows, conduct industry research and employ a staff that is tapped in to the newest trends and design savvy. Lastly, we rely on our No. 1 partners, the travel agents, for their suggestions from their clients.
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kaleidoscope
A sampler of the incomparable Sandals Resorts experience
WELCOME TO THE GOOD LIFE On the friendly island of Jamaica, the legendary pampering of Sandals Resorts begins the moment you arrive in Montego Bay, where an expanded airport lounge caters solely to guests of Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts. One of Sandals’ renowned butlers is available to greet Butler Service guests with a chilled towel and a cool drink, and kids headed to any of the three Beaches Resorts receive special welcomes from Sesame Street stars Elmo and Cookie Monster. Right away, you can start letting someone else fret about the details—while you prepare for paradise.
MEET RED LANE’S FAB 5 The first thing you’ll want to do on arrival—well, the second thing, after pinching yourself—is to arrange a visit to Red Lane® Spa, where the stressful effects of modern life fall away from body and mind. Treatments by expertly trained Relaxation Specialists feature richly formulated, tropical-infused products from the premier source of personal-care treats, Pevonia. But what to try first? Here are the top five treatments guests are clamoring for: Massage Sampler: A smorgasbord of soothers including the signature West Indian Massage, created at Red Lane Spa, combining ingredients and items indigenous to the Caribbean Java Jive Body Scrub: Jamaica’s own Blue Mountain roasted coffee beans blended with essential oils—the perfect way to perk up and prepare skin for a glowing tan Hydration Station Facial: The cure for parched skin, using oxygen and special moisturizers Aromatherapy Bath: Essential oils and special scents to provide truly total relaxation, dissolving stress and letting you glide into your vacation Pedi on the Rocks: The ultimate treat for feet, from exfoliation and hydration to an incredible massage including warm stones placed between the toes to make your feet “Sandal”-ready Now what? Just say “Aaaaah.”
PACKAGING PARADISE When you enter Red Lane Spa, you’re in heaven before the treatments have even begun. Breathe in the blissful tropical fragrances of lemongrass, mango and coconut. If only you could bottle up the aroma and bring it home. You can! Red Lane has its own private brand of scrumptious, soothing body creams, gels, salt scrubs, candles and diffusers, and they’re available for purchase in gorgeous packaging. Try Tropical Breeze, mixing pineapple, green pear and touches of cucumber; Island Essence, combining lemongrass, ginger and green tea; or Caribbean Sunrise, blending coconut and mango. One moment of inhaling these luscious pleasures and you’re transported. “When you return home to your busy life,” says Paulette Clark, Red Lane Spa director, “it’s so wonderful to have something on your dresser with a Caribbean fragrance that takes you back to Sandals.” When you’re down to your last drop, no worries. You can order more at the resorts’ online gift shop, at www.sandals.com. 12
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—Jeryl Brunner
‘When my guests say, “Wow!” I feel so happy to know I made their day special.’ —Vito Louis, butler Sandals Grande St. Lucian
YOUR PERSONAL PAPARAZZO Who’s that striking a pose by the pool while a professional photographer snaps away? Someone important? Of course it is—it’s you!
WHITE GLOVES AND ALL Sandals Resorts introduced Butler Service three years ago to raise the bar even higher on superlative service in top suites, becoming the only Caribbean destinations adhering to the impeccable standards of the Guild of Professional English Butlers. Vito Louis was one of 500 to apply for a position as a personal butler—and one of only 10 to qualify. We caught up with him at Sandals Grande St. Lucian, where he took a moment to chat between his various endeavors aimed at spoiling his guests. Q: What makes a good butler? Louis: Anticipating guests’ needs before they ask. I was taking care of a couple and another butler spotted the man ordering a certain cocktail and shared that with me. The next day, I had the drink waiting in his room. He said, “Vito, how did you know?” I replied, “It’s my secret.” Q: So you enjoy surprising guests. Louis: On arrival, I look at guest registration cards to discover if a couple is celebrating a particular event and will prepare a surprise while they’re out. For an anniversary, I may put truffles on the pillow, draw a bubble bath, sprinkle bougainvillea petals from the door to the bed and light candles. When they say, “Wow!” I feel so happy to know I made their day special.
Make an appointment for a free photo session at the SnapShots photo studio, and one of Sandals Resorts’ or Beaches Resorts’ talented photographers will capture the moment so you can focus on having fun during your stay. You can pick up your pictures at SnapShots, the exclusive service offered jointly with the photo experts at Kodak. SnapShots offers great photo packages to remember a pictureperfect vacation, from your wedding day to your afternoon snorkeling around the vibrant coral reef. And SnapShots’ brilliant staff can make your collection a real showstopper with unique backdrops, black-andwhite images and graphic-design touches. So—are you ready for your close-up?
Q: Do you really unpack for people? Louis: At check-in, we offer that service. Most women say, “I’ll do my own, but could you unpack for my husband?” I line the bureau drawers with tissue paper and color-coordinate clothing in the closet. Q: And your bureau drawers at home? Louis: Since I’ve become a butler, they’re perfect. But before that it was very different. Now I’ve even taught my wife how to fold a towel into a swan. —Jeryl Brunner Sandals Life | Luxury Included™
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kaleidoscope
Robin Williams plays a manic minister in License to Wed, which was partly filmed at Sandals Resorts.
Golf tournaments, surprise gifts and special gatherings with friends are part of the Sandals Select experience.
PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT SANDALS Five little words: “We went to Sandals Resorts.” That’s all you need to say in describing your most glorious vacation, where cares disappeared and every imaginable whim was served. Some pretty amazing people seem to agree. Sandals Resorts is the talk of late-night and prime-time TV, popping up on such popular shows as The Sopranos and Saturday Night Live and getting noticed by comedy kings Jay Leno, David Letterman and Jon Stewart. When producers of the hit romantic comedy License to Wed wanted to set their movie in the ultimate Caribbean resort, they went to Sandals Resorts. When creators of NBC’s Emmy Awardwinning The Office needed an amorous getaway for two characters, they went to Sandals Resorts. Seems like Sandals really is the first word in romance.
Sandals Select guests get these and other personal recognitions at the resorts: Handwritten welcome notes ‘Welcome home’ door signs Birthday and anniversary cards VIP Meet & Greet in the hotel lobby Special treat each night with turn-down In-room check-in for Platinum members Private-car transfers for Diamond members
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SELECTING SANDALS is now MORE REWARDING THAN EVER You chose Sandals Resorts or Beaches Resorts for endless pampering, plush accommodations and fantastic fun, but that’s just the beginning. The world’s most luxurious vacation is now more rewarding than ever, with the new Sandals Select loyalty program. Sandals Select takes the best of the popular Signature Guest program and kicks it up a notch. Members still earn points toward future visits and look forward to annual events like Reunion Week and the Chairman’s Invitational Golf Tournament. But now they’re treated to even more perks during their visit, from handwritten welcome notes to surprise amenities and gifts. A whole host of extra-special bonuses is part of Sandals Select, and it gets better and better with each stay. No matter which resort or which level of accommodation you choose, you graduate to ever-more-deluxe benefits just by returning to paradise. It’s easy to join Sandals Select, and Signature Guest members are enrolled automatically. Sign up at the front desk today and get ready to be welcomed home!
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resort report
Only the Best at the finest resorts Future enhancements will surpass all expectations 18
Sandals Life | Luxury Included™
Endless Luxury At Italian Seaside Village
Pampering goes into high gear in 180 stupendous Seaside Village suites, many with Butler Service. Think how cozy it’ll feel to relax in your own sitting room with private bath and Jacuzzi tub.
Above: Butler Service will be available at the soon-to-open Italian Seaside Village, where luxurious family suites (top right) will offer even more pampered pleasure.
One of the Caribbean’s most anticipated new vacation destinations will soon throw open its doors. The Italian Seaside Village, a $100 million masterpiece set to debut in December 2008, will be a breathtaking bastion of luxury that will redefine the concept of a family vacation. Located at Beaches Turks & Caicos Resort and Spa—named Turks & Caicos’ Leading Resort by travel agents worldwide—the Seaside Village offers every amenity for every age and taste: for 6- to 12-yearolds, a fun Kids Camp with an added activity center; for teens, a game room with ultimate-cool touches like black light; for parents, a hot new aqua-themed nightclub, added retail space and three new gourmet restaurants; and for everyone, a 12,000-square-foot pool with the Caribbean’s biggest, wettest waterpark, boasting nine new slides, a Lazy River and an action-packed surf simulator. Cowabunga! Beaches Resorts has thought of everything kids really want: Where else can you get a soda or juice by swimming up to a bar built right into the pool? Pampering goes into high gear in 180 stupendous Seaside Village suites, many with Butler Service. Mom and Dad, think how cozy it’ll feel to relax in your private sitting room with its lavish bath and Jacuzzi® tub while the kids are having a blast with cool games on the Xbox 360™ game system in their room. Time for bed? Tuck the kids into their very own bunk beds and then sink into the rose-scented bubble bath your butler prepared for you. Snuggle into your romantic mahogany four-poster bed piled high with ultra-luxe imported linens, cuddle up and start dreaming of another day in paradise.
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resort report
FEELING LIKE A MILLION in MAGNIFICENT ST. LUCIA
Elegant marble-tiled bathrooms let you sink into pure luxury.
When Sandals Resorts says it’s building Million-Dollar Suites at Sandals Regency St. Lucian, that’s not just an expression: The six ultra-luxe spaces really will cost a cool $1 million each. But with posh amenity after posh amenity, they may feel more like billion-dollar beauties.
The sumptuous six suites will be located above the fabulous bluff suites overlooking the sea, offering an even higher level of luxury.
Each of these private villas will enjoy a 180-degree view of the sultry Caribbean Sea, through plantation-style doors that fold back to reveal a stunning vista. This million-dollar view can be enjoyed from a private Jacuzzi® and infinity pool on the villa’s private patio. Inside, the sights will be even more spectacular: plasma TVs, elegant marble bathrooms featuring enormous Jacuzzi tubs, sumptuously appointed furnishings that include romantic mahogany four-poster beds piled high with imported linens. Of course, each suite will also come with Sandals’ exclusive Butler Service. The splendid six will be placed above the fabulous bluff suites overlooking the sea, for an even higher level—literally—of true luxury.
From top: An indulgent bathroom with Jacuzzi; bluff suites in St. Lucia; suite luxury with a view 22
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A TOUCH OF VENICE IN THE CARIBBEAN Top: Rondoval Suites will enhance romance at the upcoming Venetian Village. Bottom: Ultimate luxuries include private outdoor showers, richly upholstered furnishings.
The canals of Venice are one of the world’s most romantic visions, and their charms will soon come to Sandals Grande St. Lucian. The 410 rooms and suites of the new Venetian Village will include 22 private villas placed right over the water, the first such accommodations at any Caribbean resort. Each over-the-water suite will boast a 400-square-foot deck with a ladder leading down into the warm ocean water, doors that open to provide 180-degree views, and even a glass floor in the living room to view the sea below. The Village will also offer additional Rondoval suites, the romantic round huts that Sandals Resorts made famous. Inside all rooms and suites in the Village, of course, will be the luxuries that are standard at Sandals resorts: stunning furnishings, sumptuous appointments, indulgent bathroom spaces, mahogany four-poster beds. Get ready to say “Arrivederci” forevermore to an ordinary vacation.
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resort report
SPLASH-DOWN!
Awesome action at Beaches Boscobel
Ahoy, all you splash-happy swimmers and thrill-seeking water-sliders! The brandnew Pirate’s Island waterpark at Beaches Boscobel Resort & Golf Club in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, has more soaking-wet fun for swashbucklers of all ages, after a $3 million expansion that unlocks a treasure chest of fun. Pirate’s Island packs the good times into an eye-popping 27,000 square feet, so you’ll have many corners to explore. Six new kiddie slides mean big fun for the littlest guests, who can splash to their heart’s delight in their own pirate-themed water wonderland. Tweens, teens and adults have a bounty of choices including three new fast-moving or gently gliding water slides—or simply an afternoon working on their suntans on the ample sundeck. Families have more fun than ever at the new Pirate’s Island.
Boscobel is one of three Beaches Resorts where Pirate’s Island creates a wet, wild world of wonder. Guests can also bring out their inner buccaneer at Beaches Negril and at Beaches Turks & Caicos, which will soon have the Caribbean’s biggest and finest waterpark. It adds up to non-stop pleasure at the world’s best resorts for families, where every day is an adventure beyond imagination. —Ciara LaVelle
What’s Ashore at Pirate’s Island? For Toddlers Six kiddie slides with zero-entry pool; Treasure Isle AquaPlay area featuring sea creatures that gently squirt and spray water; Water Crawl play space where little ones can cavort on stepping stones shaped like starfish and seashells For Tweens, Teens and Adults Four exhilarating slides: one that lets groups zoom down together, a twisting tube and two body slides offering a series of gentle turns and a straight-shot speeder that’s for thrill-seekers only; 1,500-square-foot grass sundeck; 7,000 square feet of pool decks to soak up the sun 24
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© Sophia Fiori. All rights reserved. Venus ring design and image are protected by patent and copyright laws. Reproduction/Duplication prohibited.
The color of diamonds...
Venus
Blue Diamonds & White Gold Featuring the "Solare 129" Diamond Twice the facets of traditional diamonds. Superior brilliance & fire. Exclusive to the Sophia Fiori Signature Diamonds Collection.
a great love story begins with diamonds
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5 locations in Ocho Rios
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Main Store • 47 Main Street Taj Mahal Plaza • Shop # 4 Soni’s Plaza • 50 Main Street Island Village Shopping Ctr. • Shop 12/24 Harbour Shopping Ctr. • Shop #3 Email: GemPalace@cwjamaica.com
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designs on luxury
Building the Best The creative teams of Sandals Resorts have just one goal: to sweep guests off their feet by Laurie Baratti
A current of luxury in the new Swim-Up River Suites. Above: Going with the fabulous flow at Sandals Negril. Insets: A lavish bathroom and indulgent Butler Service at Sandals Royal Caribbean’s version of the spectacular spaces.
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What more could be desired by two people in love or a family in search of adventure than a secluded, spacious suite with a sprawling view of sparkling Caribbean waters, outfitted with richly crafted furnishings and the latest high-tech conveniences? That’s the question Sandals Resorts’ and Beaches Resorts’ designers ask themselves on a daily basis. And each time the answer is the same: one-of-a-kind luxury, and lots of it. From the charming nostalgia of a hip 1950s retreat reborn in modern-day style, to the deluxe relaxation of private river-view villas and the inspired creation of Mediterranean opulence in the tropics, the creative minds behind Sandals’ spectacular seaside resorts continue to redefine luxury Caribbean getaways. Today’s design-savvy travelers are accustomed to finery in their everyday lives, so it’s more important than ever for project developers and designers to set their sights far above any previous standard.
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“You need to imagine something new and different that will inspire excitement in our guests—what we call ‘the Wow! factor,’ ” says Betty Jo Desnoes, director, Sandals Resorts International, who has been helping to create dream destinations for Sandals since its beginnings.
An unshakable vision
Founder and Chairman Gordon “Butch” Stewart relies on Desnoes’ team and on other talented in-house design crews to carry out his vision for the resorts. After more than a quarter-century, his perception remains the same: that guests value quality above all else, both in the product and in the well-being that comes from being attended by a highly trained, caring staff. “You must first look at all the details on the comfort level, giving guests the finest quality of materials available,” Desnoes explains. “Every room category at every resort needs something special within that makes a statement. Right now, we are pushing to raise the bar of what is newest and most luxurious in all our suites.” Having in-house design teams comprised of local talent ensures that the properties retain their sense of place: the feeling that these are not just ultra-deluxe resorts that happen to be in the Caribbean, but that they have been planned specifically to celebrate their natural surroundings. Private and public areas alike are conceived to highlight wide, open spaces with amazing views, while still affording opportunities around every corner for seclusion and intimacy.
Suite splendor
Design teams understand that, during their stays, couples and families want nothing more than to drink in the matchless sights and scents of the tropical environment. A special sense of luxury comes from the chance to appreciate the rare splendor of the outdoor scene from the intimate and pampering privacy of a personal suite. For designers, that means finding new ways to enhance guests’ experiences by bringing the outdoors in. Top-tier room categories feature floor-to-ceiling windows that open onto unrivaled views of the sapphire Caribbean Sea. Inside the suites, skylight windows, glass-accented amenities and translucent mosaic tiling lend a new sense of openness, inviting natural light to fill the space with its incomparable clarity. The brightness and glow of the Caribbean sun blend with the calm created by the most splendid details: exquisite furnishings carved from rich mahogany and upholstered with plush imported
Honeymoon Beachfront One-Bedroom Loft Suites at Sandals Negril are designed for sophisticated tastes. Top left: Upstairs view of the sumptous bedroom suite. Above: Downstairs living room enjoys sweeping Caribbean views.
fabrics; cool tile flooring; bath areas bedecked in marble, mosaic glass and porcelain; and a visual scheme comprised of clean lines and palettes of sophisticated earth tones. Eleanor Miller, director of projects for Sandals Resorts and a member of the Sandals team for over 25 years, says proximity to water has emerged as one of the most highly sought-after elements of an idyllic Caribbean vacation. Delight turns to ecstasy in top room categories—the Rondoval Suites at Sandals Grande Antigua and Sandals Grande St. Lucian, for instance—with such details as plunge pools, Jacuzzi®s and outdoor rain-head showers, and such bonuses as front entrances that open directly onto the white-powder sand of the beach.
‘Right now, we are pushing to raise the bar of what is newest and most luxurious in all our suites.’ —Betty Jo Desnoes
Surrounded by such a feast of pleasures, the only difficulty may be in deciding where best to spend each precious hour in paradise. Once that decision is made, the rest is easy living. Sandals Life | Luxury Included™
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designs on luxury
the suite life In Sandals Resorts’ Lavish New Spaces, It Goes On and On and On Fantasy becomes brilliant reality in Sandals Resorts’ new topcategory accommodations in Jamaica, St. Lucia and Antigua. They’re not just rooms, but suites. And what suites they are: Beautifully appointed with stylish design elements, these chic spaces are possessed of unique character that transcends ordinary luxury.
One of the Bay Roc Beachfront Villa Suites at Sandals Montego Bay.
Glamour’s Back—and Bay Roc’s Got It
In the 1950s, Jamaica was where well-heeled couples got away to relax in casual style. Hollywood icons like Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall jetted down to soak up the sun and share cocktails and conversation. Montego Bay’s ritzy Bay Roc hotel was one of the cool crowd’s favorites— and it’s back like never before. The snazzy digs of Bay Roc became Sandals Montego Bay — and now, where Bay Roc once stood, Sandals has unveiled 59 richly appointed rooms and suites in eight room categories. Bay Roc Estate Beachfront Villa Suites’ magnificent waterfront villas exude old-time charm, with fine furnishings and generous patios and verandas affording striking ocean views. New luxuries have been added to this nostalgic style, including marble-finished bathrooms, Jacuzzi® tubs, plasma TVs and indulgent service by butlers trained by the elite Professional Guild of English Butlers. “We’ve transformed this wonderful enclave to deliver the level of luxury and amenities that Sandals guests have come to enjoy and expect,” says Sandals Montego Bay General Manager Horace Peterkin. “It’s truly a resort within a resort. After you spend some time in these villas, you can almost feel what travel must have been like in the heyday of the 1950s.”
Down by the River, Life Looks Good
Life flows like a river, it has been said, and at Sandals Resorts’ new SwimUp River Suites in Jamaica, it’s carried along on a current of wonderment. At each of the stunning suites at Sandals Royal Caribbean and at Sandals Negril, lovers can cuddle on a secluded patio surrounded by luxuriant Caribbean vegetation. Each patio opens onto a private pool and a lazy river gently winding past the luxurious suites.
From top: The seductive waterway flows past Beachfront Swim-Up River Suites with Private River Entrance at Sandals Negril; a romantic mahogany four-poster bed is adorned with rich fabrics.
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The suites are offered in two categories, ground-floor and penthouse. Each extravagant suite contains custom furnishings and tropical decor including a sizable bedroom with a mahogany four-poster and a bathroom accented with marble and hand-cut mosaic tile, plus a Jacuzzi and his-and-her vanities. And a special pantry ensures that each couple’s personal butler can keep the suite stocked with their favorite snacks and treats. The suite’s patio area is sure to be where couples spend the most time. In this cloistered refuge, the river is only steps away, its trickling water offering a romantic serenade that makes everyday life seem worlds away.
Montego Bay: 34 City Centre Bldg., Ph: 876.952.2291 Rose Hall: #7 Shoppes At Rose Hall, Ph: 876.952.3019 Negril: #1Times Square Plaza, PH: 876.957.4579 Website: tajmahalsjewelers.com
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designs on luxury
Young guests are pampered with special spaces and fun activities created just for them.
NO KIDDING: LUXURY’S NOT JUST FOR GROWN-UPS Adults aren’t the only ones getting spoiled at Beaches Resorts. Spaces and activities designed for kids of every age abound, from coordinated day camps for the youngest guests to black-light nightclubs where teens can hang.
Retreat into Romantic Rondovals
Guests in search of ultimate romance have clamored to reserve the sensuous Rondoval Suites since Sandals first introduced the round, thatched-roof cottages at Sandals Grande Antigua. Their popularity has blossomed like love at first sight, and now Sandals has taken them to an even higher level of luxury: the Ultra Rondoval Suites at Sandals Grande St. Lucian. These exquisite private bungalows offer 1,400 square feet of living space, which includes a private patio with plunge pool and cascading waterfall wall; a Jacuzzi®; a dining area; and a cozy hammock where lovers can curl up together and while away the day—or night. Interiors feature separate sitting areas with large plasma TVs, marble and mosaic-tiled baths with his-and-her sinks, pristine Jacuzzi tubs with a skylight overhead, and separate indoor and outdoor shower areas. Only Sandals could improve upon the Rondoval—and they’ve done so in the most appealing way possible. Top and right: The Rondovals offer secluded luxury, the perfect setting for romance.
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Teens are in for mind-blowing action at the new Pirate’s Island at Beaches Turks & Caicos, debuting in December 2008. By day, the 50,000-square-foot waterpark—the biggest in the Caribbean—will be a wet and wild romping grounds for all ages, with waterfalls, slides, pools, lazy rivers galore, and even a surf simulator! By night, it converts to an aqua-themed playground, including a nightclub where the teen crowd can revel in the ultimate social scene with their peers. Open until midnight, Teen Disco Nights gives teens exclusive use of Liquid and its recessed dance floor with windows that look down onto the Lazy River. Elsewhere at all four Beaches Resorts, Xbox® Game Oasis centers offer the latest in video games, and the new black-light-themed games center opening at the Italian Village will offer Internet access and the classic contests: foosball, billiards and basketball. Teens really get the royal treatment at Red Lane® Spa, with its menu of specialty treatments designed to soothe, style and pamper teenage guests. And kids, you’ll never have to worry about your parents being entertained while you’re dancing at Teen Disco Night—between the romantic cruises, the candlelight dinners and whatever else their butler has cooked up for them, they’ll be well taken care of while you’re doing your thing.
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designs on luxury
Ciao, Bella!
Mediterranean Village opens its doors ‘The entire design of the Mediterranean Village was intended to showcase even more luxury and exceed the expectations of our guests.’ —Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart
The majestic new all-suite Mediterranean Village at Sandals Grande Antigua opens a realm of wondrous possibility to guests who choose its Old World grandeur and modern sense of style. The result of a $70 million expansion, the elegant enclave stands as a poetic complement to its neighbor at Sandals Grande Antigua, the exotic tropical-themed Caribbean Grove. A gleaming palazzo-style main building anchors this seaside sanctuary, which fuses European-inspired architecture with the signature style of the islands. In the seemingly endless selection of amenities in the new village, perhaps the most delightful is the proximity to the blue Caribbean Sea. All 180 suites afford views of those dazzling waters, and right outside you can find a perfect seat on the world’s most romantic beach, on heavenly Dickenson Bay. Luxury begins at the moment of check-in at the Mediterranean Village’s private guest-welcome area. It continues expansively throughout the village, especially in the suites. All furnishings and accents were custom-made with imported materials such as Italian Giallo marble in the bath and plush Turkish cottons and linens on the mahogany four-poster. “The entire design of the Mediterranean Village was intended to showcase even more luxury and exceed the expectations of our guests,” says Gordon “Butch” Stewart, founder and chairman of Sandals Resorts International. The same could be said of every property at Sandals Resorts. In a word: Wow! — Laurie Baratti
From top: Fireworks and fire-eaters celebrated the opening of the new Mediterranean Village, where suites offer deluxe relaxation. Right: Luscious food and drink, the everyday luxuries. 34
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Right: Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart, fifth from left, with special guests at the Mediterranean Village ribboncutting ceremony.
Stargazing It’s not just another island resort, so the opening of Sandals Grande Antigua’s all-suite Mediterranean Village could be nothing less than a three-day extravaganza. Celebrities, travel agents, dignitaries and media from around the globe descended on the resort and enjoyed dazzling performances by DJ Splyce and by Grammy-winning recording artists Shaggy and Sean Paul, savored exotic island cuisine during Taste of Antigua, and were amazed by fire-eaters and other performers during an exclusive beach party. Sandals pulled out all the stops for a heart-pumping fireworks finale that lit up the skies over Antigua—truly a Grande opening! This row, from left: Access Hollywood host Maria Menounos poses; Adam Stewart joins the party with actor Geoff Stults; Grammy-winning reggae star Shaggy catches a vibe.
Clockwise from above: Actor David Charvet with his wife, TV personality Brooke Burke; actress Teri Polo; singing sensation Sean Paul; Dancing with the Stars diva Stacy Keibler; actress Rumer Willis, daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore Sandals Life | Luxury Included™
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weddings in paradise
YOUR WEDDING IS JUST THE BEGINNING No one does a wedding like Sandals Resorts, whether it’s an intimate gathering for a few close friends and family or an all-out bridal bash with multiple attendants and an extended guest list. Now the resorts’ romance experts are taking honeymoons to the next level. Voted the No. 1 Honeymoon Destination by top travel experts, Sandals Resorts fills your entire stay with one romantic moment after the other. Chilled sparkling wine and a personal note from the General Manager await your arrival in your luxurious suite, and a special turn-down service includes fresh flower petals strewn on your bed’s plush linens. An intimate breakfast in bed will be served on one morning of your stay, and a special door hanger reading “Shh . . . honeymoon in progress” guarantees your privacy. Even more pleasures await: challenging golf, thrilling snorkel and dive trips, delectable cuisine at gourmet restaurants of amazing variety. All of these luxuries are included in the cost of your stay. For additional fees, you can make your honeymoon even more of a fantasy by adding candlelight dinners, pampering Red Lane® Spa treatments and romantic In-Room Escapades. The imaging experts from Kodak, working with the resorts’ SnapShots photo studio, can wrap it all up with stunning photo and video packages for a truly unforgettable stay.
Sheer bliss on that unforgettable day 36
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And honeymooners who return to Sandals Resorts or Beaches Resorts get their anniversary night free for life when booking a seven-night stay in a Concierge suite or higher-level category*. That’s how dedicated the resorts are to the couples who begin their lifelong journey of love here—right from the very first step. *Restrictions apply.
The Adventure Begins
(and the Luxury, and the Romance...)
JOIN JAIME AS SHE SHARES HER JOY For Sandals Resorts founder and Chairman Gordon “Butch” Stewart, romance is the family business. That includes his daughter, Managing Director Jaime StewartMcConnell, who is now thoroughly acquainted with the joy her guests feel on their special day: She got married last year! That thrilling experience is far from over for Jaime, who’s been sharing all the fun and excitement of her happilyever-after by writing her very own wedding blog especially for Sandals Resorts bridesto-be. Just go online at www.sandals.com to learn about Jaime’s experiences— and get wedding advice from a true expert.
The bouquet has been tossed, the last bite of wedding cake has been shared, and the last toast has been raised to your life together. But the celebration isn’t over—it’s only just begun, if you’ve booked one of three exciting new Honeymoon Packages at Sandals Resorts: Adventure Package Explore the exotic sights and sounds of your Caribbean island in style with this thrilling experience. Take three tours of your choosing, such as the River Kayaking Safari Tour, Chukka Mountain Bike Riding Tour or Horseback Riding & Swim Tour, with a videographer and complimentary DVD of one tour of your choice. The package also includes a sailing lesson and a private scuba dive based on your level of experience. Picnic packs are provided on all tours. Your day of adventure ends with a soothing, reviving sports massage for two at Red Lane® Spa. Luxury Package A day of perfect pampering begins when you’re picked up at the airport and chauffeured to the resort in a private car, and ends with a private sunset photo session on the beach. In between you’ll enjoy the services of your own butler, who’ll unpack for you while you’re relaxing poolside, sipping fine wine and enjoying the perfect marriage of wine and cheese. Other indulgences include a private courtyard dinner; a romantic in-room couples massage; reservations for an intimate waterfront repast at Gordon’s on the Pier; and all-day relaxation poolside, where you can stretch out together on elegant chaise lounges while nibbling snacks of your choice. You’ll also get your own personalized robes—perfect for snuggling up together. Romance Package It’s a delicious experience from the moment you arrive on the island and step into your private limo stocked with fruit, sparkling wine and luscious chocolate. From there it’s all designed to feed your appetite for love: a private oceanside dinner for two, breakfast in bed, and a picnic for two on a private offshore island. The amorous adventure also includes a rose-petal bath for two, a couples massage with sparkling wine, and private massage lessons from the rejuvenation experts at Red Lane Spa, all capped off with a romantic sunset cruise. And any time you want to relive the magic, just open up your Me and My Honey Journal and gaze at your complimentary 5-by-7 honeymoon photograph.
At Your Service Two things come to mind when you think of Sandals Resorts: the ultimate romance of its weddings, and the ultimate indulgence of its Butler Service. Now the two come together, in typically unparalleled style. Top: Jaime Stewart-McConnell. Right: A butler prepares a romantic table for his guests.
Bridal couples now receive the services of a wedding butler who prepares and serves their reception dinner with white-gloved grace. The butler also creates the perfect ambience, by arranging for and serving breakfast in bed the next morning. If there’s any better way to start a marriage, we can’t think of it!
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Floral
Fantasies Celebrity-event designer Preston Bailey has added two charming new fresh-flower collections to the Sandals Collection Signature WeddingMoons®, an exclusive series of designs that are available to Sandals Resorts brides. Like the other designs, the new Caribbean Sunset and Sea Mist collections feature Bailey’s unique expressions combined with the lush colors of the Caribbean.
A NEW LOVE BOAT
Couples who marry at Sandals Negril can now choose to journey into the sunset on a plushly appointed cruiser by Chris-Craft, the leader in personal pleasure boating. Newlyweds stay happily afloat with sparkling wine and hors d’oeuvres served by one of Sandals’ classically trained butlers, while the captain steers slowly past some of the prettiest sections of Jamaica’s famed coastline. (Rumor has it that one couple managed to tear their eyes away from each other long enough to actually notice some of the scenery.) The cruise is available for an additional fee. For more details, call your wedding consultant.
Top, Beaches Turks & Caicos, named Turks & Caicos’ Leading Resort. Left, magnificient amenities at the Italian Seaside Village.
The Caribbean Sunset Collection: Fresh flowers in bright hues of pink and orange, combined with lilies and gerbera daisies, reflect the dramatic color scheme of a Caribbean sunset. The Sea Mist Collection: Blooms of fresh freesia, lilies, white roses and hydrangea, all sprinkled with crystals, are the delicate centerpiece. Surrounding the vase are four mini bouquets featuring pewter sand dollars and starfish and sea-urchin votive holders. Inspired by the Caribbean Sea, Bailey completes the look with pale-blue rippled organza linen. The Floral Elegance Collection: Balls of pagoda flowers hang on ribbons from a wedding gazebo, and creamy white flowers are accented by tropical hues of orange, yellow and pink. A pagoda-flower-ball topiary atop a natural rope vine provides a gorgeous table centerpiece. The Water Lily Collection: Green and red silk leaves, burgundy cymbidium orchids and vibrant water lilies create a colorful wedding arch. A hot-pink silk-shantung tablecloth is accented by green silk place mats, and place cards rest against large water lilies on glass chargers. The bride carries a bouquet of passionate pink cymbidium orchids and water lilies in a silver tussie-mussie. The Crystal Collection: A ceremony on the beach underneath a white-rose-covered arch precedes a reception with elaborate seashell, orchid and rose centerpieces and a romantic dinner for two. The bride’s bouquet is a classic cluster of roses, enhanced by banana leaves and tied with a silk-organza ribbon.
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From Top: Luscious wedding cake by celebrated baker Sylvia Weinstock; the sweet centerpiece of Preston Bailey’s new Sea Mist Collection; details of the Sea Mist setting
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weddings in paradise
THAT’S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR From gifts for your best man and maid of honor to special mementos of your most glorious day together, Sandals Resorts has many ways to share the joy: The Best for the Best: You and your maid of honor will likely get your wedding-day manicures and pedicures at Red Lane® Spa, Sandals Resorts’ exclusively branded haven of pampering. Why not give your top attendant an extra massage or other treatment? Don’t forget the best man: Red Lane has a full menu of services for guys. Just a Click Away: Gorgeous jewelry, fluffy-comfy robes, fragrant candles, pampering spa products. Treat your whole bridal party to great gifts from the resorts’ online gift shop. You’ll find all the keepsake accessories you need for your ceremony and reception, too, from a sweet flower-girl basket and ring-bearer pillow to toasting flutes and tropical-themed scrapbooks. And you can shop anytime at www.sandals.com. Memories in a Snap: The professional photographers and videographers at SnapShots, the resorts’ state-of-the-art photo studio, will make sure you don’t miss a moment of the ceremony, the reception or your other fun times in paradise. It’s all perfectly captured and showcased by SnapShots’ talented staff of photo experts from Kodak, the worldwide leader in photography services. And here’s even better news: SnapShots now offers streaming video of wedding ceremonies, so friends and family don’t have to wait until you return home to relive the big day—they can watch it all online!
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Wedding Wisdom Sandals Resorts has helped couples in love celebrate their joy in unforgettable ways for more than 25 years. So when we wanted some advice on keeping the passion alive, we went to the resident expert: Chief Romance Officer Joann Delgin. Q: Weddings here are so romantic. What happens when couples are back in the real world? Delgin: The honeymoon doesn’t have to fade. But it is important to connect with your partner, whether you are just starting out or celebrating your golden anniversary. Relationships are constantly evolving works of art, and Sandals provides the perfect setting where couples can connect. That is one reason we created our special anniversary offer. If you honeymoon with us, your anniversary night is free for the rest of your married life. Restrictions apply. Call 1-877-Sandals for more details. Q: What about parents? How can they keep the romance alive when their children are with them? Delgin: We believe keeping the kids happy is the first step. At Beaches Resorts our amazing programs for newborns to teens ensure the kids are having the time of their lives while their parents are relaxing and reconnecting. Moms and dads can enjoy a day on the beach, in the spa or on the golf course, knowing the kids are having their own adventures: embarking on a scavenger hunt, snorkeling, making new friends. Our Ultra Nannies provide the best care for infants and toddlers. And where else can you do all of these great activities while in the company of Elmo, Cookie Monster and the rest of the gang from Sesame Street? Q: What is the most romantic thing a guest has ever requested? Delgin: That’s a difficult one to answer—there have simply been so many. We’ve helped guests to concoct wedding proposals on our sunset cruises, during a couples’ massage at Red Lane Spa or as the “dessert” in a gourmet candlelight dinner served by a white-gloved waiter on the beach. Another guest wrote his proposal in the sand. That was one of my favorites. Q: I don’t know a lot of husbands who are that creative. Delgin: They don’t have to be—at Sandals Resorts, that’s our specialty. Our romance experts take care of all the details, allowing our couples to completely immerse themselves in the experience and in one another. And it doesn’t stop once your ceremony is over. We take care of couples throughout their whole stay, with breakfast in bed and special turn-down service.
Two people in love need to find ways to stay connected, says Sandals Resorts Chief Romance Officer Joann Delgin.
Lightweight fabrics and flattering lines make Dessy Dresses a dream come true.
Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star The burnished radiance of a Caribbean sunset, the soft caress of island breezes, the sweet sound of waves kissing the shore— everything blissful is included in Sandals Resorts’ new Twilight Wedding Package, an exquisite evening ceremony that gives brides and grooms even more reason to sigh happily. “There is nothing more romantic than a wedding at twilight,” says Preston Bailey, the renowned celebrity-event designer who has realized wedding fantasies for such couples as Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas. Bailey now designs for Sandals Resorts, and his luscious Signature WeddingMoons® packages can be the perfect finishing touch for a Twilight Wedding.
‘There is nothing more romantic than a wedding at twilight’ —Preston Bailey
The evening-ceremony package can also be selected on its own. It includes a personal wedding consultant; a spa pedicure for the bride and a half-hour massage for the groom; live entertainment at the ceremony; a beautifully decorated reception; a bouquet of fresh roses for the bride and a coordinating boutonniere for the groom; chilled sparkling wine in Beverly Clark keepsake toasting flutes; a two-tiered wedding cake; professional photo and video services, collected in a commemorative album and on DVD; and rose-petal turndown service in the couple’s suite, followed by a Romantic Breakfast in Bed the next morning. Also included: the joy you’ll feel as you exchange vows in the glow of tropical twilight.
BRIDAL BEAUTIES The bride’s gown is the highlight of an unforgettable ceremony, and it can be as worry-free as every other detail at the Luxury Included™ Resorts. An exclusive partnership with the renowned design team at The Dessy Group offers Sandals and Beaches brides a stunning selection of stylish yet affordable gowns that are right in step with the carefree spirit of a destination wedding. Lightweight fabrics and flattering lines make Dessy Dresses a dream come true. The beautiful gowns are available through the resorts’ online gift shop— www.sandals.com —or at one of 250 retail locations throughout the United States. Sandals Life | Luxury Included™
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weddings in paradise
Your
Special Days
Lifelong love begins—and grows deeper—at Sandals Resorts by Jeryl Brunner
A DREAM WEDDING COMES TRUE Gretchen Dunmire had always known she wanted to get married on a beach. “I love that carefree natural setting,” she says. Her wish was granted—even more magically than she had ever imagined—at Sandals Grande St. Lucian. Wearing a strapless dress with a fitted bodice and a small train, and holding a bouquet of purple and white orchids, Gretchen appeared on the resort’s sweeping staircase, the shining sea and white sand stretching before her. Darrell Dunmire, the nervous groom, took one glimpse at his bride and relaxed. “She was so beautiful,” he recalls. Gretchen says she and Darrell came to Sandals Resorts in St. Lucia because they wanted a worry-free yet intimate ceremony with all the details handled by someone else. They booked their 10-day trip online at www.sandals.com, where they also chose their cake, flowers and a few other elements with just a few clicks of the mouse. And then it was off to paradise. When they arrived at the resort, they placed themselves in the expert hands of wedding supervisor Shavaun Hippolyte, who went to work bringing their wedding fantasies to life—and the young couple got busy exploring St. Lucia’s romantic beaches and sampling the resort’s superlative amenities. Gretchen pampered herself at Red Lane® Spa while Darrell, an avid scuba diver, explored the colorful coral reefs offshore. Bridal couples find this same level of no-worries nuptials at all 12 Sandals Resorts and all four Beaches Resorts. “We will do anything for them,” says Sandals Grande Antigua senior butler David Hodge, who has spoiled many a newlywed pair with candlelight bubble baths and breakfasts in bed. The options are limitless. Whether it’s a formal gathering of 100 friends and family or no guests at all—just the two of you in a world of your own—any wedding wish can come true. “You can arrive in paradise and have a formal wedding with tuxedos, or go barefoot on the beach with a steel band,” says Sandals Grande St. Lucian General Manager Carl Hendricks. “And you don’t spend months planning.” Gretchen and Darrell added their own style to their celebration. After exchanging vows in their wedding gazebo by the sea, the new Mr. and Mrs. Dunmire cut their delicious Caribbean rum cake for their guests, made several toasts and munched on dainty bites of caviar and cheese. They saved their candlelight dinner for another day and slipped into swimsuits for a post-wedding celebration befitting their adventurous spirits: Gretchen went knee-boarding (“I kept my veil on,” she says with a laugh) and Darrell was off kayaking. And they’re still floating—or feel like they are. “Our wedding was very special,” says Darrell. “It exceeded all my expectations, which were high.”
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‘Everything was perfect’ —New bride Gretchen Dunmire
Red Lane Spa offers an extensive menu of rejuvenating treatments for body and mind that serve both brides and grooms—and anyone else who wants to feel special
Saying “I Do” to Ultimate Pampering Before her dream wedding, Gretchen pampered herself with a manicure and pedicure at Red Lane® Spa, Sandals Resorts’ exclusively branded haven of indulgence. Red Lane features rich, tropical-infused treatments using products created exclusively for Sandals Resorts by Pevonia, whose elite spa-care line has made it the leader in skincare, holistic wellness and therapeutic relaxation. Red Lane’s extensive menu of rejuvenating treatments for body and mind serves both brides and grooms—and anyone else who wants to feel special. And with customized hair, makeup and body treatments available for attendants, the whole bridal party can be treated to a fabulous spa day. Hair stylists help find the perfect look for brides, who often choose cascading curls or sophisticated up-dos. Spa therapists are experts at soothing the future husband and wife, whose cares soon float away on a cloud of lemongrass while they sip sparkling wine and get a massage for two overlooking the shimmering sea. The ultimate bridal package is the Wedding Extravaganza, a three-day ritual of delight, both before and after the ceremony. The bride enjoys a facial, a manicure, a pedicure, hair and makeup sessions and more, while the groom gets a just-for-men facial and a sports-relief massage. The finale is a romantic couples’ massage—which can even be performed on the beach, where the Caribbean breezes softly kiss bare skin. Or they can partake in the scintillating Sparkling Celebration. After their shared massage, they remain in Red Lane’s Couples Sanctuary, where they can relish a bottle of bubbly while nibbling fruit and relaxing in a sensuous whirlpool bath scented with essential oils. And to remember your relaxing and romantic time, visit the spa or Sandals online gift shop to purchase Red Lane Spa signature fragrances.—Jeryl Brunner
Great Things Come in
Perfect Packages Destination weddings are hotter than ever. More and more couples are choosing to combine convenience and romance by having the ceremony and the honeymoon at one location, while giving their guests a memorable vacation. The difference at Sandals Resorts is that you don’t have to think about anything except your love for each other, thanks to these unequaled packages that eliminate all your wedding worries: WeddingMoons®: Couples receive the services of a professional wedding coordinator along with special dining, personalized gifts, a lovely ceremony setting and lots more. FamilyMoons®: Blended families are becoming more common as couples embark on “encore marriages.” At Beaches Resorts, FamilyMoons unite new families in a fun, relaxed setting, and they include a free WeddingMoons package for those who book three days or more with at least 10 rooms including the bridal couple’s. Unity Sand Ceremony: The popular new way of recognizing the joining of two families is now available as part of the FamilyMoons package at Beaches Resorts. The bridal couple and their respective children each receive a vase of sand that they pour into one large vessel. This symbolizes an unbreakable new unity, not just of husband and wife, but of the family as a whole.
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weddings in paradise
A real-life couple’s inspiring love story earned them a place on the cover of a new Harlequin Romance novel.
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Storybook Romance
They’ve been married eight years, but Deanna Latson and Patrick Combs feel like they’re still on their honeymoon. Always finding new ways to romance each other, they’re building everlasting love.
Deanna Latson and Patrick Combs, shown on The Valentine Gift
Their love is being immortalized by the first name in passionate publishing, Harlequin® Romance, and celebrated by the innovator in romantic getaways, Sandals Resorts. In the first of many projects created by their unique new partnership, the two giants created a contest around the question “What makes your love everlasting?” Deanna and Patrick won judges’ hearts and will appear on the cover of a book in Harlequin’s “Everlasting Love” series. There was only one choice for the photo shoot’s location: Sandals Grande Antigua, where everlasting love stories are created every day of the year at the resort voted World’s Most Romantic for 11 years in a row. “Their story captured the essence of a Harlequin Everlasting Love story,” says Harlequin Enterprises spokeswoman Marleah Stout. “They are passionately in love but are also great communicators, which is essential in keeping love strong.” With such an inspiring tale, Sandals and Harlequin are sure to create true love for the ages.
Deanna and Patrick’s Love Story Following is an excerpt from Patrick Combs’ winning essay on the love he shares with Deanna Latson: We’re now in our 10th year of romance; our relationship is in full bloom. Like any good couple, and like all true soulmates, we earned our relationship happiness by sticking together through thick and thin, good and bad, wonderful and hard, trials and tribulations. To be perfectly honest, we weathered the best of trials and tribulations as we helped each other grow and become better relationship partners, better friends, better loves, better people. 44
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love by the numbers Here’s how Patrick and Deanna add up their “eleven years of an endless honeymoon”: 132 months of breakfast in bed 3,984 days of wine and roses 95,616 hours of making love by the sea 5,736,960 minutes of enduring romance And 344,217,600 seconds of being with the one who completes our soul = Patrick + Deanna, F o r e v e r
‘The best part is helping bring two people together’ —Wedding planner Shavaun Hippolyte
THE SECOND TIME’S EVEN SWEETER For four sisters and their husbands, renewing wedding vows was just as extraordinary as exchanging them for the first time—especially with as special a setting as Beaches Turks & Caicos. “It was just so wonderful, the way they took care of us and thought of everything,” Jo Ann Geist says of the staff who created a perfect celebration for her and her husband, George, married for 30 years—and for Jo Ann’s three sisters and their husbands. More and more couples are holding vow-renewal ceremonies as an eloquent way to declare the deepening of their love over time. Like the Geists, they often make it the centerpiece of a red-letter anniversary celebration at Sandals Resorts or Beaches Resorts, where expert wedding coordinators attend to each detail as caringly as they do for firsttime vows—and where the romantic Caribbean is the perfect fuel for rekindling the flame of love. When shared by the couple’s children or grandchildren, the ceremony is an even more meaningful expression of lifelong love. Serenaded by classical music, the second-honeymooners in Geist’s family declared their deepened love on the beach while several photographers and videographers caught it all. The couples chose to add even more romance to the celebration with a Preston Bailey Signature WeddingMoons® package, designed by the master event planner himself. They picked the Water Lily Collection, Geist says, “because pink is one of my sister’s favorite color.” When it was over, they received congratulations not only from friends and family but also from passers-by who’d been moved by the beauty of the ceremony. It wasn’t just the ceremony that was exceptional, Geist says. The whole family reveled in a Luxury Included™ vacation filled with first-rate amenities and gracious hospitality. They had visited the resort three years earlier, and Geist says she was stunned when the manager still remembered her mother’s name. They enjoyed a wine-tasting class and, as Sandals Select members, were treated to a Manager’s Luncheon. Family gatherings included dinners at Kimonos and Schooners, two of the resort’s most popular restaurants. “It was very special for all of us,” Geist says. “They made us feel so special as a family.”
Top: Newlyweds again, Gerri and Ed Szwajkowski renewed their vows with daughters Jessica and Amy witnessing the special event. Left: Caroline Thompson, center, with her joyful secondhoneymooning daughters; from left, Caroline Engel, Nicole Saunders, Jo Ann Geist and Gerri Szwajkowski.
A Day in the Life of a
Wedding Planner Shavaun Hippolyte thrives on romance. “I have always loved romantic movies, especially the part when the couple makes up,” she says. “I can’t bear when they fight. I try to miss those scenes.” So her career as a wedding planner at Sandals Grande St. Lucian is a natural fit. She not only manages the ceremony itself but has also been known to operate as unofficial mother, best friend and confidant to countless happy brides. She remembers one groom who spent most of the time in bed nursing a cold he had caught before he arrived. “It was nothing serious, but the bride was basically on her own much of the time,” says Hippolyte. “She came to the wedding lounge crying, and my colleague Monica and I sat with her and dried her tears and made her feel better.” Another time, a grandfather arrived at the last minute to suprise the bride. Hippolyte instantly created a boutonniere for him from the bridal bouquet. “I sew dresses, hem pants, calm grooms, dispense cold, moist towels, help brides dress, put flowers in hair. I’m very versatile,” she says with a grin. There are a thousand things to manage for the wedding: scouting the perfect vow location for a couple, arranging for their favorite music, huddling with their butler to arrange a weddingnight bubble bath and romantic turn-down service. To truly personalize each ceremony, Hippolyte makes sure to learn facts such as the couple’s pet names for each other. “The best part is helping bring two people together,” she says. “When a couple tells me that their wedding was perfect, that they noticed all the tiny details we arranged—from the cake to the flowers, to the location, to the music—that warms my heart.”—Jeryl Brunner Sandals Life | Luxury Included™
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Mandy Moore: Just getting started
BY Skip Sheffield Singer, songwriter and actress Mandy Moore has been a star since age 15, when her debut album, “So Real,” went platinum. She’s now a statuesque and lovely woman of 23 who is equally adored on the big screen; her wholesome allure has delighted audiences since her breakthrough role in the heartwarming 2002 romance A Walk to Remember.
Mandy Moore performs in concert September 15, 2007, at Irving Plaza in New York City.
Joe Kohen/WireImage.com
Moore garnered critical notice for other serious acting roles, including Saved! (2004) and American Dreamz (2006). Her comedic skills were tested in the 2007 Robin Williams vehicle License to Wed, in which she and John Krasinski (The Office) played an engaged couple in a three-week prenuptial course conducted by a wacky minister (Williams at his most madcap). The film’s climactic wedding scene takes place on the beach at one of the gorgeous Sandals Resorts in Ocho Rios, with Moore as a most radiant bride. But her passion remains singing. Moore has been singing her heart out since she was a preteen belting out the national anthem at Florida sporting events. Her musical career rocketed after she toured with the Backstreet Boys in 1999. The next year she hosted her own MTV show, opening the door to acting. Tall and willowy, Moore is beautiful and unmistakably womanly. “I’ll never be a Nicole Richie,” she kidded one interviewer, referring to the famously emaciated starlet. Named one of People magazine’s 50 Most Beautiful People in 2002, she’s been romantically linked to celebrities including tennis star Andy Roddick and actors Zach Braff and Wilmer Valderramma, but has always downplayed any talk of tying the knot herself. Despite fame and success, Moore remains humble. She publicly disparaged her early albums, even offering refunds. Presumably she’s happier with her later efforts: Her 2007 CD, “Wild Hope,” placed on Entertainment Weekly’s Must List as well as the magazine’s Reader’s Choice roster. With more movies on the horizon, Moore is just beginning to come into her own. “When people come up to me and say, ‘You made it,’ I think, ‘But I’m not done yet. Not everyone’s heard my music,’” she has said. “I want to be a household name.”
Films License to Wed (2007) Because I Said So (2007) Dedication (2007) American Dreamz (2006) Romance & Cigarettes (2005) Saved! (2004) Chasing Liberty (2004) How to Deal (2003) A Walk to Remember (2002) The Princess Diaries (2001)
Albums Wild Hope (2007) Candy (2005) Coverage (2003) Mandy Moore (2001) I Wanna Be With You (2000) So Real (1999)
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licenSe to wed movie photogarphs courtesy of warner brothers
silver screen
at Sandals Resorts Film features the comic stylings of Mandy Moore, John Krasinski and Robin Williams—and the enchanting style of Sandals resorts
true love at last The road to the altar isn’t always blissful for Sadie and Ben, the marriage-bound couple at the heart of the Warner Brothers romantic comedy License to Wed. But one location in the movie was made for a perfect ending: Sandals Resorts’ romantic destination in Jamaica. The resort gives a dazzling performance in a supporting role for Mandy Moore and John Krasinski as Sadie and Ben. The License cast and crew spent a week in Ocho Rios, capturing Jamaica’s perfect beaches and the resort’s alluring atmosphere for the movie’s final scenes.
Producers of the romantic comedy needed the quintessential Caribbean setting for their movie, so where’d they go? Where else?
“There’s no place that can substitute for Jamaica,” says director Ken Kwapis. “The blue of the Caribbean is so specific—it’s turquoise, really. There’s nothing else quite like it. It was the perfect backdrop to shoot the film’s big finish.”
From top: John Krasinski as Ben Murphy, and Mandy Moore as Sadie Jones; filming the final scenes at Sandals Resorts in Jamaica
Sandals Resorts was happy to help showcase its home island. “We have quite a bit of experience setting a luxurious stage for two young people to embark on a lifetime of love,” says Maggie Rivera, director of public relations, “and having our resort play such an important role in this charming movie is something we are very proud of.”
Every bride is a star at Sandals Resorts, and every groom a handsome leading man. 50
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“The Katt”
NEGRIL & OCHO RIOS I JAMAICA
Excitement by day and Romance by night
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sesame street
Abby CadabBy’s Here! And you never know where or when the newest Caribbean Adventure character will appear to weave her spell of delight
Families can meet Abby Cadabby at Beaches Resorts, the only Caribbean resort where parents can give their kids the joy of vacationing with their favorite Sesame Street friends.
Magic really is everywhere now that the enchanting Abby Cadabby has joined the cast of Beaches Resorts’ Caribbean Adventure with Sesame Street. The inquisitive three-year-old fairy-in-training likes popping in to visit young guests and their families when they least expect it: at a Sesame Street Character Breakfast, at each resort’s weekly Sesame Street parade, and even at birthday parties! Abby comes to Beaches Resorts from the beloved children’s TV show Sesame Street, where she’s the first major new female Muppet character joining the show in over a decade. She makes lots of appearances in other places, from the Web site www.SesameStreet.org to books and plush toys. And now, families can meet her in person at Beaches Resorts, the only Caribbean resort where parents can give their kids the joy of vacationing with their favorite Sesame Street friends. Abby’s arrival also marks the debut of the fourth exciting Caribbean Adventure stage show. Included in the price of a familyfocused, Luxury Included™ vacation at Beaches Resorts are stage shows with favorite Sesame characters, including You and Me at Sesame, Bert and Ernie’s Island Adventure, Imagine with Sesame and the newest entry, What I Want to Be. Abby’s starring role in the show features “The Magic in Me,” a song written especially for her, which includes her favorite phrase, “That’s so magic!” The daughter of a real fairy godmother, Abby is learning how to make magic. Like anyone learning a new skill, she tends to make mistakes—whatever she tries to transform with her training wand usually turns into a pumpkin! But her new friends in the Sesame neighborhood love her all the same. Abby floats when she’s happy, and families have such a great time with her and the other pleasures of the Caribbean Adventure, they often feel like they’re floating too!
Grover and Elmo check out the scene with some young friends. 52
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WHO’S IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD?
Caribbean Adventure heroine Zoe plays a mermaid in the fantastic fantasy event at Beaches Turks & Caicos.
THAT’S ONE COOL CARAVAN
Cookie Monster excites the crowd, Zoe enchants as a merry mermaid, and Grover is a swashbuckling pirate. Their amusing antics dazzle and delight families each week as the new Treasure Caravan winds through Beaches Turks & Caicos. The colorful Caravan features all the characters from Beaches Resorts’ Caribbean Adventure with Sesame Street—including the magical new Abby Cadabby—along with leaping jellyfish, jumping dolphins and glittery deep-sea creatures. The characters act out a legendary tale of crafty Caribbean pirates and mystical mermaids, stopping at the resort’s stunning French Village pool to perform interactive songs and dance numbers that engage little ones—and their parents. It’s entertainment and adventure you’ll find only at Beaches Resorts, thanks to some special friends at Sesame Workshop. A splash-tacular time is guaranteed for all!
As a proud sponsor of Sesame Street, Beaches Resorts brings new enthusiasm each day through the Caribbean Adventure with Sesame Street. Keep your eyes peeled for all your pals—they like to explore the resort and they love having their pictures taken with their fans, so go right ahead and ask. Here’s just some of the everyday magic at the world’s best resorts for families: Character Fun: Your pals pull out all the stops with special activities designed with you in mind. Mix it up and Bake with Cookie Monster; get down and Dance with Zoe; groove to cool tunes as you Make Music with Bert and Ernie; learn about island ecology and go Exploring with Grover; and end the day with one of the happy tales from Story Time with Elmo. Friends on Parade: Your favorite characters lead an exciting Junkanoo parade each week. And if the lilting island tunes make you want to get off the sidelines and jump in, go right ahead! Movie Magic: You and your family are sure to have a “reel” great time at Sundays at the Movies, watching fantastic flicks with a Sesame pal. Beaches brings the popcorn, and you can make your own sundae. For additional fees, families can add to the joy with these special activities: Character Breakfasts: Rise and shine with your favorite Caribbean Adventure characters, who personally visit each table giving hugs and posing for pictures. You also get special gifts including balloons and finger puppets. Happy Birthday: Imagine getting birthday wishes from one of the Caribbean Adventure characters. The festive celebration includes snacks and party favors, not to mention yummy cake. A clown performs for the young guests, and the birthday child receives a special gift. It could be your best birthday ever.
From left: Bert and Ernie have a splashing great time; Grover’s a swashbuckling hero in the Treasure Caravan. Sandals Life | Luxury Included™
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DINING DELIGHTS
Tasting the good life More culinary adventures await guests of Sandals Resorts, through the Vineyard Dinner program created with Beringer Vineyards. For an additional fee, participating guests can sample a six-course extravaganza of dishes that showcase the resorts’ tropical cuisine and pair perfectly with wines from Beringer and its portfolio-mates. Guests might sip sparkling wine while savoring an appetizer of raisin chutney-jerked beef and grits with pineapple relish; or enjoy a Rosemount shiraz that wonderfully balances the complex flavors of an entree like beef filet and lobster tail with potato/pumpkin galette and roasted root vegetables with truffle jus. The Vineyard Dinner is hosted by the executive chef and the food and beverage manager at select resorts, and is an intimate event for four to eight couples. Bring an appetite to this one—and a taste for the good life!
PAMPERed PALATEs Good friends, great food and superlative wine make any night a special occasion. Guests are celebrating again and again thanks to Sandals Resorts’ unique pairing with Beringer Vineyards, the legendary California vintner that is now in its third century of making some of the world’s finest wines. Sandals and Beringer’s wineappreciation program gives lovers of the grape many ways to rejoice. This unique program offers four different varietals as Sandals’ house wines: pinot grigio, merlot, chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon. The acclaimed selections are bottled exclusively for Sandals by Beringer. Guests who want to take the experience further can, for an additional fee, venture into the expanded Manager’s List from Beringer’s portfolio-mates in California, Australia, Italy and New Zealand, with additional offerings from France and Spain. The Chairman’s Choice, also additional, offers magnificent vintages from Beringer’s sister estates: Chateau St. Jean, Etude, Penfolds and Stags’ Leap Winery. Whether considering the complimentary or the premium wines, all guests receive expert guidance from sommeliers trained to Beringer’s exacting standards. Guests can expand their own knowledge of the grape with appreciation and pairing classes and practice their newfound wisdom at wine-and-cheese receptions. All this leaves just one thing to say: Cheers!—Ciara LaVelle
Beringer Vineyards’ legendary taste is paired magnificently with Sandals’ cuisine—and always served incomparably. 54
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ROMANCE by the glass A bottle of Beringer wine and a lavish suite or other private place at Sandals Resorts or Beaches Resorts—that’s all you need to create your own world of pleasure. Here’s the inside word from the resorts’ highly trained butlers, on pairing Beringer wines with some of the sweetest spots. As the sun sets over marvelous Dickenson Bay at Sandals Grande Antigua, linger over a dry pinot grigio and take in the radiant view from your suite in the spectacular Mediterranean Village. Sample the rich complexity of a merlot from the balcony of your one-bedroom penthouse suite at Beaches Turks & Caicos. Enjoy the panoramic vistas while your butler draws you a rose-scented bath and turns down the bedding on your romantic mahogany four-poster bed. Relax in each other’s arms in your personal cabana by the pool at Sandals Grande Ocho Rios as a professionally trained concierge serves you luscious nibbles and a crisp chardonnay. Ask the resort’s Master Chefs to assemble a picnic hamper of fruit, cheese and chocolate to match the full-bodied taste of a cabernet sauvignon, and dig into your feast from the patio of your romantic Rondoval Suite at Sandals Grande St. Lucian. Wherever you go, the taste of Beringer is all the richer when shared with someone special. —Ciara LaVelle
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DINING DELIGHTS
A FEAST OF CHOICES A world of delightful taste is presented at Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts, spanning the flavors of the world’s cuisines: Continental, Caribbean, Thai, Tex Mex and anything else you hunger for. Fresh ingredients are prepared innovatively to create dishes that satisfy sweet-lovers and the health-conscious alike. You’ll find an ambience to suit any mood, from festive eateries where families can comfortably relax after a day of adventure, to romantic in-room dinners just for the two of you.
Even the dinnerware on which these delectable meals are served has been commissioned especially for guests of the resorts.
You can choose a setting that is both casual and stylish at Barefoot by the Sea at Sandals Grande Antigua, Sandals Grande St. Lucian and Sandals Negril, where fabulous food is served at a beachfront bistro; or opt for the white-glove service and Continental cuisine of Five Star Diamond-rated La Toc at Sandals Regency La Toc in St. Lucia. Equally superlative is the cuisine at Gordon’s on the Pier, a delightfully intimate experience at select Sandals Resorts. Gordon’s fresh seafood and hand-selected steak specialties are served in sophisticated splendor to guests staying in Sandals’ highest-level suites. For a diverting twist, there’s the new Water Dining program at Sandals Montego Bay, where Butler Service guests dine not on the water but in it: seated under umbrellas at charming wrought-iron tables in up to two feet of water. The ultimate retreat is available through private dining that adds Sandals style to room service. Intimate candlelight dinners can be arranged anywhere you wish: in your suite or room, on your patio, by the pool or even on the beach under a gauzy tent, attended by an impeccably formal server. Like everything else at Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts, the restaurants leave no detail to chance. Even the dinnerware on which these delectable meals are served has been commissioned especially for guests of the resorts, and cutlery is made of the finest material—all part of the Luxury Included™ Vacation.
From top: A delightful evening at Gordon’s on the Pier; Water Dining at Sandals Montego Bay; a private repast by moonlight. Right: In-suite dining is prepared for two people in love. 56
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Water sports
Worlds of Wonder Above and Below
SAIL AWAY ON A SEA OF LOVE Picture this: The sun sets in a burst of glowing color as your captain sails serenely past hidden coves, secluded beaches and lush coastline. You and your companion relax in each other’s arms sipping the finest sparkling wine, nibbling the most delectable hors d’oeuvres and grooving to the sweetest calypso and reggae music. Love can’t help but bloom on a cruise along the alabaster shores of the Caribbean’s most romantic islands, especially when it’s so perfectly orchestrated by the world’s most romantic resorts. Sandals Resorts has created a heavenly two-hour sunset cruise for passionate endings to perfect days. Two people in love seeking a more-active day can book a full-day sail that includes snorkeling in crystal-clear waters on glorious coral reefs. Both are available for an additional fee and include a fully stocked bar, hors d’oeuvres and canapés prepared by the resorts’ Master Chefs, with polished Sandals-style service. Once you book your trip through the resort’s Water Sports Department, all you have to do is climb aboard and let the Sandals crew work their magic. —Jeryl Brunner
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No wonder first-time divers get hooked and keep returning to Sandals Resorts to explore the deep.
CAST OFF ALL YOUR CARES
IMMERSE YOURSELF IN TROPICAL SPLENDOR
Now departing from select Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts: five fabulous new catamarans that turn a day of fun on the water into a luxury cruise. Custom-designed especially for the resorts, the “Katts” far outclass anything else on the water and offer stupendous features and amenities. Each Katt has a spacious deck to grandly accommodate guests, with a fully stocked kitchen from which mouthwatering meals and snacks are prepared and served by professionally trained chefs and wait staff. Best of all, the Katt offers a live video feed to plasmaTV monitors (located right inside one of the pontoons!) to give you up-close encounters with the fascinating marine life below. These cool Katts are available at Beaches Resorts in Turks & Caicos and Negril and at Sandals Resorts in Antigua, Negril and St. Lucia. Book a voyage through the resort’s Water Sports Department, and before you know it you can experience a whole new definition of pleasure cruising.
Fanciful fish in all the colors of the rainbow, exotic creatures like squid and octopus, marvelous coral formations. Curtis John has seen it all in his years of diving on the spectacular reefs of the Caribbean. “It’s another world down there,” says John, water-sports manager at Sandals Grande St. Lucian. No wonder first-time divers get hooked and keep returning to Sandals Resorts to explore the deep. And with the resorts’ two scuba-certification courses, you’ll learn all you need to start appreciating the incomparable beauty below. Sandals Resorts offers a short resort course that qualifies guests to dive at any of its properties for one year from completion. Or you can earn full certification through the Professional Association of Dive Instructors (PADI), which qualifies you to dive anywhere in the world. The PADI course begins with basic skills taught in a pool, followed by actual openwater diving and a skills test. “You watch a video, the instructor elaborates on the mechanics of pressure and how much it affects various parts of the body, and you get to breathe like Darth Vader in the pool—it’s fun,” explains John. Once the requirements are completed, your photo and online application are sent to PADI and temporary certification is processed in about 20 minutes. And that’s it—you’re ready to dive anywhere, worldwide. PADI certification costs extra, but once you get your “C card” you can make two dives each day for free, including equipment. See the Water Sports Department at your resort—and get set to get wet!—Jeryl Brunner
Colorful reef fish are but one of the pleasures of the deep that Sandals-certified divers get to experience. Sandals Life | Luxury Included™
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DINING DELIGHTS
IN THE KITCHEN WITH . . . Chef Beejouroth Parmesseur
A TASTE OF SANDALS Here’s one of Chef Parmesseur’s most-requested recipes. It’s an easy, no-bake treat that will bring you back to Sandals Resorts with every bite:
No trip to Sandals Whitehouse is complete without a visit to Café de Paris, the chic coffee bar and sweet shop offering the finest brews and tastiest treats around. Café de Paris is home base for Chef Beejouroth Parmesseur, the pastry genius who has spent more than a decade pleasing appetites for decadent desserts at luxury resorts across the globe. Made with only the finest chocolate, butter and other ingredients, Parmesseur’s treats have satisfied many a sweet tooth.
White Chocolate Almond Cookies Ingredients 1 lb. white chocolate chips 1 1/2 oz. cocoa butter 2 single-serving boxes of corn flakes ½ lb. sliced almonds Directions Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler. Add cocoa butter while chocolate is still hot, then let cool. Stir in corn flakes until cookies reach desired consistency (“Some like them crunchier, some like them with more chocolate,” Parmesseur says) and then add the sliced almonds. With a spoon, scoop out the mixture and shape it into balls; drop onto wax paper. Let dry in the refrigerator—and enjoy.
Made with only the finest chocolate, butter and other ingredients, Parmesseur’s treats have satisfied many a sweet tooth.
Chef Beejourouth Parmesseur, above, is a pastry genius, especially with chocolate.
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One bite of Café de Paris’ chocolates says it all: raspberry, toffee, caramel and other fillings enveloped in creamy milk, dark and white chocolates, all mixed, poured and set by hand. Want an enormous chocolate Eiffel Tower at your wedding? Parmesseur’s your man. And his pastries are equally scrumptious. His White Chocolate Bread, with its oozing white chocolate swirled into thick, doughy sweetbread, is an absolute must-have and stimulates cravings among guests and resort staff alike. Parmesseur has been at Whitehouse since its 2005 opening; before that he was at Beaches Turks & Caicos. “Becoming a chef at Sandals Resorts made my dream come true: to produce great pastries with very fine details,” he says. How sweet is that?—Ciara LaVelle
T
h row Ca u t i o n To Th e Wi n d . . .
Romance is everywhere in the Caribbean. And a Sandals WeddingMoon® makes getting married here so very easy. While we take care of all the details, you’re free to enjoy the start of your new life together. And everything is included, even a CareFree Wedding.* Or choose a wedding by Preston Bailey, Hollywood’s most sought-after event planner, at an additional cost. Either way, a WeddingMoon® marries the wedding of your dreams with the honeymoon of a lifetime. It’s a match made in heaven, only at Sandals.
Get Married in Paradise with the FR EE * WeddingMoon® or Exclusive Preston Bailey Wedding Collections at Sandals
®
THE
Luxury Included
®
HONEYMOON
Call your Travel Agent or
1-877-SANDALS sandals.com *Free for concierge level booking or higher for stays of 6 nights or longer. Administrative and government fees apply for all other categories. Offer is subject to change at any time without notice. Unique Vacations, Inc. is the worldwide representative for Sandals Resorts.
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style 2
time for glamour 1
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1. Batu Kawung collection pendant and earrings, John Hardy; 2. Diamond Aquaracer watch, TAG Heuer; 3. Pasha Seatimer chrono, Cartier; 4. Big Bang watch, Hublot. 66
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ˆ $ 952-!.
Shoppes at Rose Hall – Montego Bay 876-953-2242 Island Village Ocho Rios – 876-675-8773 Time Square Negril – 876-957-9530
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local pathfinder Yeah, mon! You’re in the land of the verdant Blue Mountains, white-sand beaches and reggae beats to boot. In Jamaica, everything’s irie. Lo cat io n
Jamaica is about 90 miles south of Cuba. Montego Bay sits on the island’s northwestern coast, Negril is on the island’s western tip, and Ocho Rios is in the middle of the island’s long north coast.
Money
ESSENTIALS Best things to see and do
1. RIDE ON HORSEBACK THROUGH SCENIC TRAILS OR AT THE EDGE OF
The Jamaican dollar ($JA) is the official currency. U.S. dollars are widely accepted. Traveler’s checks and major international credit cards are accepted at most restaurants and shops.
COBALT-BLUE SEAS.
L a nd A re a
Jamaica is the third-largest island in the Caribbean, measuring 146 miles from east to west and 51 miles from north to south for a total of 4,400 square miles. P o p u l at io n
Approximately 2,735,000 people reside on the island of Jamaica.
T r a n sp o r tat io n 2. PURCHASE DUTY-FREE PERFUME, JEWELRY, WATCHES AND LIQUOR AT FABULOUS PRICES.
3. TAKE A RELAXING STROLL ALONG NEGRIL’S FAMOUS SEVEN-MILE BEACH.
4. STEP BACK IN TIME AT GREENWOOD AND ROSE HALL, TWO SPRAWLING GREAT HOUSES THAT WERE FORMERLY PLANTATION HOMES OF PROSPEROUS SUGAR BARONS—ONE WITH A RESIDENT WHITE WITCH!
L a ng uag e
English is the official language and is spoken with a melodic lilt. Jamaicans also speak their own patois—a combination of several languages.
Rental-car agencies are located in Montego Bay, Negril and Ocho Rios, and at the major airports. When traveling by taxi, agree on the fare before setting off. Fares to popular destinations are posted in the hotel lobby.
5. CLIMB TO THE TOP OF JAMAICA’S MOST POPULAR TOURIST ATTRACTION, DUNN’S RIVER FALLS.
F o r m o re in f o rm at io n
Jamaica Tourist Board Cornwall Beach Montego Bay, Jamaica Call (876) 952-4425.
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JAMAICA • LOCAL PATHFINDER
timothy pasha
Breil
must see, must have
Watches
Diamonds
Tanzanite
The Caribbean offers extraordinary duty- and tax-free pricing on many of the timepieces that you have seen advertised. All your favorite and hard-to-find watch brands are available here. Most of these watches are extravagant but affordable, as you will receive from 10 to 45 percent off U.S. retail prices.
The No. 1 best buy in the Caribbean is diamonds. The reason is simple: staggering savings, unparalleled selection and a generous Customs allowance on all loose diamonds. If you didn’t think that you could afford diamonds, now you can by getting a big discount off the original U.S. retail price. Select the diamond that you’ve always dreamed of.
Found only one place in the world, under the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro, tanzanite reflects rich purple and blue colors in the same stone. Shopping for tanzanite at home can be a daunting task — but in the Caribbean, you will find entire stores dedicated to this rare, beautiful jewel.
Ever wonder why shopping is one of the most popular activities on an island vacation? Here are the essentials that round out the complete shopping experience.
Colored Gems Color is key. Gemstones from A to Z are featured in shops on all the islands. You’ll find ammolite, emeralds, rubies, sapphires and Imperial topaz, to name a few, at a price that will surprise you! Build your collection of colored gemstone jewelry.
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pianegonda
cartier
You’ll be enchanted by the latest trends in jewelry and watch designs.
VVV.ATQADQQXSGDAD@S.BNL
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JAMAICA • LOCAL PATHFINDER
john hardy
guerlain
Why not bring back a gift for the one you love?
Designer Jewelry
Fragrance
China/Crystal
Not an experienced cruiser? We let you in on one of the Caribbean’s best-kept secrets: great liquor buys. Nowhere will you find a larger selection of local and international liquors, including the preferred top-shelf bottles, at a fraction of what you would pay back home.
Originally, fragrance was used for purification in religious ceremonies. It later became a symbol of fashionableness for women and men, and gradually came to be applied to attract people. Choose new scents with seductive appeal and traditional perfumes from North America and Europe at substantial duty-free savings.
Entertain elegantly at a gathering of family and friends. Enjoy the sounds of clinking glasses while your guests toast you as you serve gourmet food attractively presented on your new china. From earthenware to bone china to collectible art glass signed by internationally renowned designers, the possibilities are endless.
tortuga rum
wedgwood
Have a passion for fashion? Look like you belong on the red carpet after only a single day of shopping for designer jewelry. Many precious-jewelry lines and some Caribbean-exclusive designer lines are found here — the best shopping destination in the world — all with designerauthorized discounts.
Liquor
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Š KABANA. All designs protected by copyright laws. All rights reserved. Reproduction/Duplication prohibited.
Bronze Mother of Pearl
Come to where memories are made Island Village Shopping Center, Taj Mahal Shopping Center, Harbour Shops (across from the Cruise ship pier)
Ocho Rios, Jamaica KABANA
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800.521.5986
W W W. K A B A N A . N E T
10/13/08 11:50:49 AM
JAMAICA • LOCAL PATHFINDER breil
Cartier
HUBLOT
Montego Bay Tajmahal, City Center
Montego Bay, Negril, Ocho Rios Casa de Oro
Montego Bay Bijoux Duty Free
Negril Gems International at Bayside Village
jamaica
brand finder
Montego bay Negril Ocho rios
JOHN HARDY
PHILIP STEIN TESLAR
Montego Bay Bijoux Duty Free, Airport The Presita Shop
Montego Bay Jewels & Time
Ocho Rios Jewels & Time
Negril Gems International Ocho Rios Jewels & Time
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TAG HEUER
Montego Bay Casa de Oro Negril Casa de Oro Ocho Rios Casa de Oro
Maxi Marine Chronometer 43 mm - 266-67-3/43 Self-winding chronometer certified movement. Water-resistant to 200 m. 18 ct rose gold case. Available on gold bracelet or rubber strap.
W W W . U LY S S E - N A R D I N . C O M
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Shoppes at Rose Hall • Montego Bay • 953-4611 Times Square Shopping Mall • Negril • 957-9592 Soni’s Plaza • Ocho Rios • 974-1238 Taj Mahal Plaza • Ocho Rios • 974-2769 Harbour Shops • Ocho Rios • 974-0639
11/11/08 11:23:52 AM
JAMAICA • LOCAL PATHFINDER
by Garry Steckles
F
ar be it from me to cross swords with Keith Richards when it comes to music—any kind of music. But when the legendary Rolling Stones guitarist and rock ’n’ roll survivor tells people “reggae music died with Bob Marley”—and I’ve heard him say it—I must beg to differ. There have been some dry spells. But the fact is, as any serious reggae fan will attest, the music’s alive and kicking. And Bob Marley, reggae’s greatest singer, songwriter and performer, is more popular, more influential and more esteemed today than he was when he died in 1981. Come to think of it, Marley, more than two decades after his death at the age of 36, may well be the most popular, influential and esteemed artist of any music genre the world has ever known.
ELIZABETH JANE
Marley’s global impact is often hard to comprehend to those of us who first heard his name in the early 1970s. Back then, the buzz from Jamaica was that a sensational young group called The Wailers were going to be the next big thing in reggae— a music that was already making an international impact with chart hits by Desmond Dekker and a hard-edged cult movie, The Harder They Come.
The young Marley had a serious mien at times.
The buzz was right on the money. In less than a decade, Nesta Robert Marley (the name he was given at birth) rose from obscurity to become the Third World’s first superstar. He broke attendance records in Europe. He toured and recorded virtually nonstop. He made headlines everywhere—for his music, his outspoken views on marijuana, his fervent belief in the then-virtually-unheard-of Rastafarian religion, and the parade of beautiful women who came and went in his life. Then, almost as swiftly as it began, it was all over. The news that Marley had cancer broke in 1980, and he died in May of the following year. And that is when the legend really started. In death, Marley has become even bigger than he was in life. His image, his message and his music, collectively, have taken on almost mythic proportions. A whole new generation has grown up listening to and revering Marley. His image adorns everything from T-shirts to shoes, from purses to posters, from bumper stickers to designer jeans, and his albums continue to account for an estimated 50 percent of reggae sales worldwide.
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Kate Moss & Gaspard Ulliel - Café de Flore - Paris
LONGCHAMP BOUTIQUE: ST. JOHN’S, DUTY FREE COMPLEX, #308 HERITAGE QUAY TEL: (268) 562 5301 WWW.LONGCHAMP.COM
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JAMAICA • LOCAL PATHFINDER
“I
f you know your history then you know where you’re coming from”
Marley’s music has received numerous accolades in recent years: Time magazine chose his classic mid-’70s Exodus as its album of the century; the BBC selected “One Love” from Exodus as its anthem of the century during its marathon millennium broadcast; and The New York Times put only one video, Marley’s 1977 performance at London’s Rainbow Theatre, into its millennium time capsule, which was placed under the Metropolitan Museum of Art to be opened on the first day of the year 3000. And Marley himself has received many posthumous tributes: He was featured on PBS’s prestigious American Masters biography series; he has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and honored with a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame; and he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2001 Grammy Awards ceremonies.
—Buffalo Soldier Marley, this time accompanied by his mother, returned to Kingston at the age of 12 and spent the next few years in Trench Town, the ghetto that he was to immortalize in song. The grim concrete jungle and the music that permeated it shaped Marley’s personality and, eventually, his destiny. It was on the streets of Trench Town that the slight boy from “country” learned to handle himself, and he soon earned the street nickname Tuff Gong—rough translation, a tough customer not to be trifled with. And it was here that he started to apply himself seriously to a career in music.
Impressive as they are, these achievements only hint at the impact Marley has had on the countless millions whose lives have been influenced by his timeless anthems. With the possible exceptions of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, no songwriter in history has given the world so many songs that are entrenched in our collective memories. Reggae fans around the world, particularly in Africa, worship Marley as a god—an expression of veneration that would undoubtedly come as a surprise to a man who regarded himself as simply a musician with a message he wanted to share.
ELIZABETH JANE
Marley’s story started in rural Jamaica on February 6, 1945. He was born in the small village of Nine Miles in the parish of St. Ann, and from infancy, it was obvious that he was special. But Marley never had it easy. His father had gone back to Kingston the day after marrying Bob’s mother, Cedella; she was already pregnant. Captain Norval Marley, a member of a wealthy Jamaican family, had virtually nothing to do with the upbringing and support of the youngster until he “sent for” Bob to join him in the Jamaican capital. But when he reached the big city, Marley was put in the care of an elderly, infirm lady, and in fact ended up fending for both her and himself before he was even 10 years old. About a year later, his worried mother finally tracked him down and returned with him to Nine Miles, which is where he first struck up what would develop into a historic friendship with another youngster, Bunny Wailer.
Marley relaxing between gigs
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Marley, Bunny Wailer—who had also moved to Trench Town—and another ambitious Kingston teen, Peter Tosh, joined forces to form The Wailers. After honing their vocal and instrumental skills under the guidance of the late Joe Higgs, one of Jamaica’s most respected musicians, they cut their first records in the early sixties. Despite having hit after hit, they made practically no money and were still living in desperate conditions. But The Wailers were special talents, even by standards of a nation that has produced more brilliant musicians per capita than any other on earth, and they came to the attention of a small Jamaican record label that, in 1972, advanced them the money to cut what became the first authentic reggae album (as opposed to a collection of singles): the epochal Catch a Fire.
CHRONO CLASSIC Can timepieces have timeless appeal? This collection certainly does. At 41mm it’s not too large, not too small. The subdials, meanwhile, are oversized, highly legible and destined to stay that way – shielded by scratch-resistant sapphire. The movement? Swiss-made. Which model is yours? Go ahead, take your time…
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JAMAICA • LOCAL PATHFINDER
ELIZABETH JANE
“We’re jammin’ and I hope this jam is gonna last” –Jammin’
The album got rave reviews, sold well, and suddenly reggae music was an international phenomenon. The following year, The Wailers came out with Burnin’, which cemented their reputation as reggae’s first real international stars. It was the last album they were to record as a trio. Tosh and Wailer, neither of them happy with Marley as the focal point of the group, each decided to go his own way. Marley immediately recruited three female backup singers: his wife, Rita; Judy Mowatt; and Marcia Griffiths—known as the I-Three—for his next album, 1974’s Natty Dread. Again sales went well, but it wasn’t until 1975 that Marley went from star to superstar status. The album that sent his career into the stratosphere was Live, recorded at London’s Lyceum ballroom. While the album as a whole is somewhat uneven, it contains the song that is perhaps Marley’s most famous: a majestic, soaring version of “No Woman No Cry.” After that, with the brilliant publicist Charles B. Comer working on his behalf, you couldn’t pick up a paper or a magazine or turn on the television without encountering Marley. Reggae fans around the world eagerly awaited his annual album. Rastaman Vibration was huge in 1976, and the following year brought Exodus, which was even bigger. Then in 1978 came Kaya and the less-than-successful live double album Babylon by Bus; 1979’s Survival; and 1980’s Uprising. By the late ’70s, Marley’s health had started to fail. A soccer injury to a toe turned cancerous, and in keeping with his Rastafarian beliefs, he refused to let doctors remove part of his foot—an operation that might have saved his life. The cancer spread and Marley made his final appearance onstage in Pittsburgh in September 1980. Members of The Wailers wept as he performed “Redemption Song,” arguably the greatest of his many memorable compositions, for the last time. Marley died in a Miami hospital on May 11, 1981, and his body was flown home to Kingston. His funeral was the biggest and most emotional in Jamaican history, and his remains were taken across the island by motorcade to the village of Nine Miles, where he was laid to rest in a white mausoleum a few feet from the tiny house in which he was born.
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After Marley’s death, reggae went through what undoubtedly will be remembered as the musical equivalent of the Dark Ages. Purposeful, uplifting “roots” reggae gave way to crude, repetitive dancehall, a reggae/ rap hybrid often with openly sexist and/or violent lyrics. As the ’80s dragged on, the great roots groups that had dominated the music were virtually driven out of Jamaica by the dancehall “posses.” They still spend most of their time on the road, touring in Europe, North America and Asia, where their music has found adoring publics. But reggae’s nothing if not resilient, and as it continued to change, a new wave of social-minded dancehall artists emerged in the early and mid-’90s. Today performers like Buju Banton, Anthony B, Capleton and the chart-topping Shaggy have taken dancehall to new levels and captivated new audiences. Meanwhile, many of Bob’s children continue to spread his musical message. Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers have been international stars since the ’80s, sons Damian and Julian Marley have recorded with considerable success, and Bob’s youngest son, Kymani, a dynamite talent equally at home with roots reggae and driving hip-hop, is the latest to burst on the scene. The legend lives on.
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JAMAICA • LOCAL PATHFINDER
“H
ELIZABETH JANE
it me with music, hit me with music now” —Trench Town Rock
Honorary Citizen, Peter Tosh This three-CD boxed set is virtually a history of one of reggae’s most accomplished and most controversial talents, the late Peter Tosh. It combines early Tosh singles with classic album tracks from the ’80s—including “Reggaemylitis” and “Equal Rights”—along with some outstanding live performances. Hot Shot, Shaggy A huge international hit from the current king of reggae’s “lover men.” The hit single “It Wasn’t Me” propelled the charismatic Shaggy to superstar status—and it isn’t even the best track on this CD. Marley’s music lives on.
Here are recommendations of ten CDs for a basic reggae starter kit. The list includes everything from Bob Marley standards to classic roots to up-to-the-minute dancehall. All are readily available at Caribbean specialty stores and at major North American and European outlets with reggae sections. African Herbsman, The Wailers The collaboration between the eccentric Jamaican studio genius Lee “Scratch” Perry and The Wailers in the late sixties resulted in music many reggae aficionados insist is the best the group ever made. Blackheart Man, Bunny Wailer The first album from Bunny after his split with The Wailers, it’s still widely regarded as the late singer’s masterpiece. Gorgeous melodies, incisive lyrics, not a single weak track. Roots reggae at its finest. Country Journey, Kymani Marley Is this what Bob would have sounded like if he’d been born in the ’80s? Quite likely. Kymani is a prodigious young man who’s got a knack for writing melodies that stay with you. Exodus, Bob Marley and The Wailers Time magazine’s editors chose it as the album of the 20th century, and they may just be right. The only contender, in my book, would be another Marley masterpiece, Survival. 86
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Inna Heights, Buju Banton Quality dancehall—terrific melodies, conscious lyrics—from the undisputed king of the genre. One Stone, Culture Joseph Hill, Culture’s lead singer, is regarded by many as reggae’s finest living vocalist. Culture has been making superb roots reggae since 1977 with “Two Sevens Clash,” and they’ve never sounded better than on “One Stone.” Touting I-Self, I-Roy The early DJs—U-Roy, Big Youth, King Stitt and Co.—set the stage for today’s dancehall, rap and hip-hop. Nobody does it better than the late Roy Reid, known professionally as I-Roy. Universal Struggle, Anthony B Pure, undiluted dancehall from one of Jamaica’s most respected young artists. Anthony B’s lyrics are uncompromising and cliché-free, and like the best of the contemporary wave of dancehall stars, he can write a melody with staying power. ◊
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Rivers rush down mountains covered in thick foliage, emerald waters lap golden shores, tropical flowers accent every view. In Ocho Rios, Jamaica’s natural beauty is evident at every turn in the road.
NAME GAME A common belief among Spanish speakers is that Ocho Rios means “eight rivers,” which is the English translation. But the association is faulty; the town doesn’t have eight rivers.
In 1657, a Spanish expeditionary force coming from Cuba launched a raid on Jamaica, inciting a battle with British forces near Dunn’s River Falls. Upon seeing the spectacular series of waterfalls, now the most important attraction of Ocho Rios, the Spanish called the area las chorreras, Spanish for “rapids.”
In time, the British and the island natives—not practiced in Spanish—corrupted las chorreras into “ocho rios.”
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City Center Mall & Shoppes at Rose Hall, Montego Bay. Phone (876) 952 3261 Island Village & Tajmahal Centre, Ocho Rios. Phone (876) 675 8762 to 4 Email: maginfo@jewelsandtime.com Web: www.jewelsandtime.com
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10/3/08 4:19:53 PM
JAMAICA • LOCAL PATHFINDER
The Caribbean is nothing if not cinematic. Probably what initially makes the most striking impression on first-time visitors to the region is the color of the water around the islands. The blue is an almost mystical, lucid blue, the blue of watercolors rather than oil paintings; and the green tends to resemble the color of a lime daiquiri. The obvious question is why the water of the Caribbean Sea is so poetically blue, and the answer is scientific. Light absorption explains blue water. Sunlight, composed of electromagnetic radiation ranging in color from red to blue, is scattered by particles suspended in the water. The shorter blue wavelengths scatter more effectively and are absorbed less rapidly than the longer red and orange wavelengths. Seawater appears blue for about 100 feet under the surface and looks black in the absence of light. It is in essence sunlight performing a tango on the water that accounts for the brightly colored Caribbean Sea. By contrast, the Red Sea is red because it contains algae that release reddish-brown pigments; the Yellow Sea is yellow because rivers fill it with mud; and the Black Sea is black because it is essentially landlocked, resulting in little oxygen except near the surface and a bottom filled with hydrogen sulfide. Then there is the sapphire Caribbean sky, its seemingly illimitable vastness dramatized by seeing it in the bleached tropical light from the perspective of an island. It is in perfect counterpoint to the equally vast sea and is especially stunning when graced with a rainbow. And the puffy white cloud formations and mind-blowing sunsets are an enduring sandra buccane
source of inspiration for photographers.
Caribbean
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Yet there’s plenty of visual variety in both the sky and the waters of the Caribbean. Brown boobies, spotted sandpipers, blue-winged teal ducks, bananaquits, iridescent hummingbirds, indigo buntings, pink flamingos, multicolored toucans, blue and green and purple herons, tropical mockingbirds, royal terns, snowy egrets and palm warblers are just a few of the countless birds that abound in the sky and on the beaches. In the crystalline water, visitors can spot brilliantly striped and dotted yellow, blue, scarlet and green fish bearing names like parrot fish and angelfish—these are the performers in an unending aquatic ballet that delights visitors of all ages. —L. T.
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10/22/08 5:06:46 PM
JAMAICA • LOCAL PATHFINDER
street food
When It Comes to Coffee, It’s Good to Be Blue by Je n Kare t n ic k Though it’s not a native crop, having been brought over as Arabica seedlings from Martinique in 1728, Jamaica Blue Mountain coffee is one of the island nation’s most prized agricultural products. And rightly so. Like that of wine grapes, the quality of coffee beans ultimately depends on its terroir — the overall set of growing conditions that includes soil composition, weather patterns, elevation and even orientation to the sun. The Blue Mountain range, on the eastern end of the island, boasts richenough dirt and a rain-forest climate, but it’s really the altitude that’s the important thing. Coffee plants thrive at high elevations, where they can maintain constant temperatures. And the Blue Mountains peak at nearly 7,500 feet, where the cool mists gather as bluish clouds that give the mountains their moniker. In fact, to be appellated Blue Mountain coffee, the product must be grown at least 2,000 feet above sea level. But while 30,000 acres are given over to coffee-growing in Jamaica, only 9,000 are officially Blue Mountain production sites. Typically hand-picked and -sorted at small, family farms, the coffee cherries are an annual crop, and the Jamaican Coffee Industry Board, a government-supported supervisory organization, regulates consistency, export quality and certification for everything from the beans to their handlers. In addition, the Arabica is a two-root tree, but one root is lopped off after the first year and the tree is replanted, says Cindy Hutson, a renowned Miami chef who worked early in her career as a certified Blue Mountain coffee importer. It can take up to five years to get the first crop from a tree, she says. Statistically, all this means that while the trees can offer high output, Blue Mountain coffee is still pretty rare, and often pricey to boot. The prime natural conditions and strict regulations, however, ensure that each cup of Blue Mountain coffee is at its precious, perky best. 146
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Thanks to the growing number of Caribbean markets in the United States and authentic products on display in American groceries, visitors often believe that the island’s renowned street food begins and ends with Jamaican patties. Even in their home state they’re ubiquitous; you can buy them everywhere from mom-andpop bakeries to gas-station convenience stores. But while those inimitable spiced-beef turnovers are worthy ambassadors, they’re not exactly emblematic. Actually, Jamaican street food is a category with broad reach, ranging from guinneps, tiny tropical fruits that are eaten by the handful, to gizzadas, coconutfilled tarts. A street food can be a roasted ear of corn or a soft drink, such as the lightly fermented ginger beer. At its simplest definition, it is any type of comestible that you can buy from a roadside or market vendor, be it hot or cold, sweet or savory, pre-prepared or cooked à la minute. Not all of Jamaica’s traditional street foods are easy to come by. Jangas, a type of crayfish, for instance, are scarce these days. (If you find ’em, eat ’em.) Also, many items are more prevalent in certain neighborhoods. The Mount Diablo region is known for its soups: mannish water (a goat soup that supposedly gives extra power in the bedroom to the man who consumes it), red peas and cow foot (yup, just what it sounds like). And much of it is downright, deliciously messy. The dry spice-rubs on jerk chicken or pork smear like charcoal. Stews like vegetable rundown, a coconut milk-based staple that is named for its long-cooked character, just beg to be dipped into with roasted breadfruit or a spiced bun, which can drip. Then there are the brilliantly colored, rapidly melting snow cones, evocatively named “sky juice.” But in the end, it’s hard to mind getting a little sky on your shirt. —J. K.
One of Jamaica’s many roadside jerk pits
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JAMAICA • LOCAL PATHFINDER
robert freeman
A wonderful thing happened to the English language when it washed up on Caribbean shores. It cross-pollinated with tongues from Africa and Europe, then bloomed into something unique on each island. When a Jamaican pleads, “Gimme a boon, mon,” to ask a favor, or an Anguillian offers a room “above” because it has a sunrise view, the island traveler adds yet another rich memory to a mental scrapbook. This isn’t about the patois islanders speak among themselves, the argot they developed to keep outsiders from understanding. It’s about delicious phrases they use when speaking the Queen’s English, phrases so expressive and evocative you immediately catch the drift. There’s no mistaking that Old Year’s Night means “New Year’s Eve” or that she vexed means “she’s totally ticked off.” It helps to understand islanders if you know that the letter h is added and dropped, cockney style, in the Abacos and in Jamaica, as in, “We ’ave no h’ice cream today.” The letter w is often pronounced like v: “Dot rich mon vealthy beyond words.” Reach means “to arrive,” as in, “I reach here when I were a baby,” and carry can mean “to transport,” as in, “Can you carry me to the airport?” To ax is “to ask,” and the t-h sound comes out as a hard t, as in t’ink, “to cogitate,” and a t’ief is “a person who steals.” A cruising sailor once took on a native guide in The Islands of The Bahamas to lead him through the coral reefs. From the bow,
Islandspeak: A Glossary Finish means “all gone,” as in, “The conch chowder finish, but we still have some boil fish.” We is often used where “us” should be used. A calypso singer serenades tourists, “You come so far by DC-3, we glad you come to visit we.” Hitching a ride, a group might ask if you have room to “carry all of we.” Wha mek? asks “Why?” as in, “Wha mek we so hungry this morning?” Me one means by yourself, sometimes emphasized as “me one alone.” Boo-noo-noo-noo is “the best, the most beautiful.” A noo or two may be added for emphasis.
the guide kept singing out, “Tin, mon, tin.” The skipper, thinking he had 10 feet of water under the keel, promptly fetched up on a reef. The lookout had been warning him the water was “Thin, mon, thin.”
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by Janet Groene
paradise
E X C L U S I V E LY AT
R E S O RT S THE
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速
速
V ACAT ION
10/21/08 4:58:18 PM
JAMAICA • LOCAL PATHFINDER
robert freeman
1. When jackass back strong, dey overload him hamper. Don’t work too hard or the boss will just keep piling on more work. 2. One, one, coco full basket. Here are some Almost the Jamaican national motto, this phrase encourages us charming expressions to believe that “little by little, the job will get done.” (and translations) 3. No care how teacher cross, school bound for give recess. heard on English There’s light at the end of the tunnel. speaking islands. 4. Parson christen he own chile first. Charity begins at home. “Chile,” like “child,” could refer to anyone of any age who is younger than the speaker. 5. Chile muss learn to cut and contrive. That kid must learn to be more careful with his money. 6. When I done with sardines, I doan meddle with de tin. I’m over that love affair. Nothing could make me take that loser back (or forget a hurt done by a former friend). 7. What mouth say, backside pay. Watch what you say. Words have consequences. 8. He no live for shave him beard. He’s not going to live long at this rate. 9. Plantain sucker follow him root. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree; a chip off the old block. 10. Stone under water no feel heat of day. The rich and privileged don’t understand the sufferings of the less fortunate. 150
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10/30/08 4:45:02 PM
st. kitts TOURISm BOARD
JAMAICA • LOCAL PATHFINDER bonaire TOURISm BOARD
IT’S A (CARIBBEAN) FACT by Marty Leshner Scuba diving with a companion
An idyllic vista
During your blissful cruise to ports in the sunny, seductive Caribbean, you will surely enjoy the bounty of beaches and become immersed in the history of the islands while you visit landmark sightseeing attractions. As you accumulate photographs, postcards, souvenirs and memories, let’s see how much you learned along the way. Just match the fact, noted on the left, with the island(s) it applies to, on the right. Answers below. FACT 1. Brimstone Hill Fortress on one island and Pinney’s Beach on the other are stellar attractions, respectively, on these two “sister” islands.
A. Puerto Rico
2. Tortola and Virgin Gorda are two of the most popular diversions in this collection of serene islands.
B. Martinique
3. This island’s capital of Oranjestad features distinctive Dutch architecture.
C. Barbados
4. True to the British tradition that resonates locally, you’ll be driving to the left.
D. British Virgin Islands
5. Scuba divers and snorkelers descend on this island’s rich reef community, which reportedly numbers 40 dive sites.
E. The Dominican Republic
6. In late October, Pirates Week is this island’s festive celebration of its past. 7. The largest of the Netherlands Antilles, this island enjoyed an initial major growth due to the construction of oil refineries.
F. The Cayman Islands G. Bonaire
8. Numbering many authentic baseball fans, this island has produced terrific players — such as Sammy Sosa.
H. Curaçao
9. On this “Spice Island,” it’s difficult not to succumb to the flavors of local cinnamon, cocoa and vanilla.
I. Guadeloupe
10. Reggae, jerk pork and splendid great houses, built by plantation owners, are part of this island’s lure.
J. St. Maarten/St. Martin
11. French is this island’s official language, along with the local Creole patois. 2. Home to the imposing fortress known as El Morro, and a dazzling Caribbean 1 National Forest — El Yunque — this island is very popular with cruise guests. 13. This island is divided between the Netherlands and France, with Philipsburg and Marigot as its respective capitals. 14. This group consists of three islands; cruisers eager to shop till they drop will be most familiar with St. Thomas. 15. Part of the Lesser Antilles, this lush island also provides a jumping-off point for the offshore, and remote, Isles des Saintes. ANSWERS: 1-0; 2-D; 3-M; 4-C; 5-G; 6-F; 7-H; 8-E; 9-K; 10-N; 11-B; 12-A; 13-J; 14-L; 15-I. 152
ISLAND(S)
Sandals Life | Luxury Included™
K. Grenada L. U.S. Virgin Islands M. Aruba N. Jamaica O. St. Kitts and Nevis
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